The Younger Sister (REVISED VERSION)
by jlc919
Summary: Astrid is the sister of the God of Thunder and the God of Mischief. What could possibly go wrong? (This is the edited version of my old story, The Younger Sister, which can still be found in my stories. I did not like where that story was going, so I decided to edit and revise all the chapters, as well as change the ending.)
1. The Big Day

The golden gown slid easily down Astrid's body as she put it on. It ran down her body, until it almost touched the floor. It truly was beautiful. Fit for a princess. While her brothers would look as if they were heading off to war, she was dressed as if she were to attend a royal ball. The looks of a princess, apparently.

She eyed herself in the large mirror in her room before she deemed herself ready. As she headed for the door, she slipped on the matching pair of heels on the way out.

Astrid glided down the hall, servants stopping to bow before her as she passed. She gave them all polite smiles and nods before she noticed her brothers conversing with each other at the end of a hall and headed their way. How could she not see them? As if the tell-tale red and green capes were not distinctive enough, Loki's horns certainly were. As she approached, she could begin to hear part of their conversation.

"-rage of battle. How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?" Thor asked Loki. Ah. So they were discussing Thor's heroic antics. Astrid let a smile adorn her face as she approached, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

Loki glanced at his brother with a confused look. "As I recall, I was the one who prevailed us in smoke to ease our escape."

Thor simply laughed. "Some do battle, others just do tricks."

"Stroking our egos, are we brothers?" Astrid asked with a smile as she finally made it to their side.

Thor and Loki both turned to look at her. "Glad you finally came to join us, sister," Thor said with a wide smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest in a hug. "If you wrinkle my dress, Thor, you will pay dearly. No matter if you are king or not," Astrid teased as she unwrapped herself from her brother's huge arms. Thor simply laughed. Astrid glared at him, though a teasing smile played across her lips.

"You look beautiful, dear sister," Loki's smooth voice cut in.

Astrid turned to face her other brother. Where Thor was muscular, Loki was lean. He smiled down at her with a kind look on his face and she wrapped her arms around his abdomen to give him a quick hug. "Thank you, brother," she whispered in response.

When she pulled away, she glanced at both of her older brothers and asked, "So which battle were we talking about this time?"

"The battle in Nornheim, where I saved us all with a little magic," Loki responded quickly, while Thor simply chuckled. "If you say so brother. You and your tricks." Loki rolled his eyes at his brother's comment.

A servant came up beside Thor and produced a chalice for him to drink from with a small bow.

Loki glanced at the cup and with a twist of his hand, three skinny snakes slithered their way out of the cup. The servant let out a yelp as he dropped the platter, and empty cup, to the floor. Loki smiled as the servant glanced up at him with a fearful look.

"Loki," Thor reprimanded. "Now that was just a waste of good wine."

"Oh it was just a bit of fun." Loki replied and looked at the servant. "Right my friend?" and with another move of his hand, the snakes disappeared. The servant gave a nervous chuckle as he bent down to pick up the platter and cup before scurrying away.

Thor and Loki both chuckled and Astrid elbowed Loki in the side. "Be nice, Loki."

He glanced down at her, mischievous smile still on his face as he replied, "My apologies." Astrid just rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle.

A guard appeared at Thor's side and handed him his signature helmet, before bowing and backing away.

As Thor looked down at his helmet, silver feather jutting out from both sides, both siblings could tell that he was scared. Something that he would never admit, but the two siblings could read him well.

"Ooo. Nice feathers," Loki commented with a smirk. hoping to cheer him up a bit. It seemed to work as Thor chuckled and looked over at his brother.

"You don't really want to start this again, do you, cow?" Thor replied with a nod to Loki's horns protruding from his own helmet.

"I was being sincere!" Loki exclaimed with fake appall.

"You are incapable of sincerity!" Thor responded quickly.

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

Astrid laughed at the back and forth playful banter between her two older brothers. "Now now. We don't need a fight before the ceremony, now do we? What would mother say?"

They both smiled at her, but Loki became more serious as he looked at his brother. "I looked forward for this day as long as you have. You're my brother, and my friend. Sometimes, I am envious. But never doubt that I love you."

Thor gave him a small smile, before placing his hand on Loki's neck in an affectionate way, to say that he heard him and acknowledged his words.

"And what Loki forgot to say is that I love you too, brother," Astrid cut in with a large smile as she looked at the man who would soon become her king.

Thor turned his head to look at her and reached his other arm out to give her hand a quick squeeze.

The sweet sibling moment was ruined when Loki said to Thor, "Now give us a kiss."

Thor chuckled as he let go of his younger siblings. "Stop it!" he laughed, giving Loki's chest a light punch and pointed a finger at Loki.

They all laughed quietly, before looking ahead of them, to the hallway that would lead to the grand hall, where the ceremony was taking place. Loki took a deep breath before saying quietly, "It's time."

Thor seemed to lose all playfullness before responding, "Go on. I'll meet you."

Astrid and Loki both glanced towards him in concern. Thor put on a smile he was not quite feeling at the moment. "Go."

Loki looked down at his younger sister and held out his arm to her. Astrid smiled and took it, before giving one more glance towards Thor, and give him a reassuring smile, as Loki led her away.

Loki smiled at her and they walked out, side-by-side, until they were standing by the doors to the grand hall. Loki gave her a small pat on the back. "Good luck," he whispered quietly, before slipping away.

Astrid took a deep breath and pushed her hazelnut brown hair behind her ears, where it fell to the middle of her back, and smoothed out her dress, before the doors opened and she started to walk out.

The crowd roared as she stepped out and walked towards the throne, where her father, Odin, sat watching her.

Astrid gave a few nods and smiles to the people as she walked by and stopped at the stairs and curtsied deeply to her father. The King of Asgard.

She glanced at her mother, Frigga, and smiled. Her mother returned the smile. Astrid turned her head to glance at the other people by the stairs and smiled at her friends, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, all who were adorning their battle armor.

Finally, she looked back up at her father and he smiled faintly at her and gave her a faint nod.

She stood and took her place on the stairs, just as the door opened again and, Loki walked in. The people cheered, but Astrid knew that not everyone was as fond of the young prince as of Thor and the princess.

As he kneeled down in front of Odin, he glanced over at her and smiled. Astrid returned the smile and he quickly stuck out his tongue at her which made her chuckle, which earned her a glare from her mother and father. Astrid glared at Loki for getting her in trouble, but he only smiled mischievously, and took his place on the stairs opposite of her.

Soon, the crowed quieted and the doors opened. The crowd went wild as her oldest brother, Thor, walked in waving his trusty hammer around and throwing it into the air, showing off for the people. Loki glanced down at the ground, but Astrid smiled as Thor walked up to the stairs and kneeled down, placing his hammer beside him. He looked up at their mother and sent her a quick wink. Frigga shook her head discretely, but Astrid saw her fond smile.

Odin tapped his staff on the ground and it sent a loud thump throughout the room and the crowed quieted.

"Thor Odinson, my heir," Astrid glanced over at Loki to see him looking down towards the floor as he shifted uncomfortably. "My first born." Odin spoke loudly, though emotion could be heard in his voice. Frigga glanced down towards her other son, noticing his discomfort and smiled sadly. Both women were strongly in tune with Loki's emotions, more so than Thor and their father.

"So long, entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjlonir, forged in the heart of a dying star, its power has no equal. It's a weapon to destroy," Odin paused, "Or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king."

"I have defended Asgard, and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms." Astrid's mind began to wander a bit, not fully listening to her father and instead, she looked down at her older brother with a proud smile on her face.

She was pulled back to her father's words when he spoke again.

"Do you swear to guide the Nine Realms?"

"I swear!" Thor replied.

"And do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear!" Thor repeated.

"Do you swear," Odin paused before speaking again. "to case aside all selfish ambition, and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realm."

"I swear!" Thor shouted confidently, holding his hammer up as he spoke.

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you..." Odin spoke, but paused, as he glanced to the side, as if listening to something.

Astrid glanced up at him in concern.

"Frost Giants!" Odin exclaimed, and he slammed his staff onto the ground, before standing up and walking out of the room quickly. Astrid stood shocked, as she glanced at both her brothers. Thor sat dumbfounded for a moment, before standing and following his father, Loki close behind him. Astrid glanced at her mother, who looked worried and started to calm the crowd who was starting to freak out.

Astrid slipped out after her father and brothers. She ran as fast as she could in her dress and heels and caught up to Loki and Thor.

Odin barged into the Weapons Chamber, where two guards lay dead, along with three dead Frost Giants, their bodies scattered on the floor.

Astrid let out a soft gasp and covered her mouth with her hand and looked away, while Odin checked to make sure all the relics were in place.

Thor and Loki glanced at each other before Thor said, "We should attack. This was an act of war."

"It was an act of but a few." Odin replied quietly, as he looked at the damage around him.

"They need to pay!"

"They have paid, with their lives." Odin said in response.

"Look how far they got!" Thor said, his voice loud and angry.

"But they were stopped." Odin replied with a glance towards the Destroyer.

"As king of Asgard…." Thor started.

"But you're not king! Not yet!" Odin said in an angry voice.

Loki and Astrid glanced at each other awkwardly, before Astrid leaned down over one of the guard's body and placed her hand on his hand and, closed her eyes.

The arguing stopped as they watched Astrid. A series of images and words crossed through her mind. Brief, but it was enough for Astrid to see what she was looking for. Their last thoughts. The last things that went through their mind before they died.

She took a deep breath before opening her eyes, trying to hold back the tears, before moving on to the other guard, her hand shakily wrapping around the guard's larger one.

This time she let out a small gasp, and a single tear escaped from her eye. Loki was at her side in an instant. His slender arms were enveloping her in a hug and she collapsed into his chest. He helped her stand and whispered in her ear. "You shouldn't do this. It hurts you too much."

Astrid gently pushed him away gently. "I was given this ability for a reason. They deserve to be remembered. To know that someone heard their last thoughts. To know that someone will remember them, even if it is only me."

Loki looked like he was going to argue, but he didn't.

Thor cleared his throat. "So what did you see?"

Loki gave him a sharp glare, but Thor ignored it and kept his gaze fixed on Astrid.

Loki murmured softly, "You don't have to answer him."

Astrid took a deep breath and responded. "The first guard was looking forward to tonight's party because he was going to propose to his girlfriend." The images that flashed across her mind from the guards thoughts showed her a beautiful blonde woman, her name running through his head as his last coherent thought.

"The second guard just wanted to get home to his wife, who is pregnant and is due in less than a week." Astrid continued softly, though as quickly as possible and almost broke down again, but Loki wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. She only leaned into his chest and cried on his shoulder.

Thor looked away, and Odin gave a soft sigh.

"We should get back." Odin said and led the way out. Loki and Astrid were right behind him, his arms wrapped tightly around her while she clung to him, holding him for support. Thor followed a bit behind everyone else, confused as to how this could have happened. He was still upset that he hadn't become king.

* * *

 _Please let me know what you guys think!_


	2. The Fight on Jotenheim

After the whole ordeal, Odin announced that the ceremony was going to be suspended "until further notice". Astrid stayed with her mother, comforting the guests as they all left. Many were frightened about Frost Giants being on Asgard. Astrid and her mother spent a long time trying to ease the terrified people of Asgard. Their fear would not completely leave until they heard word from Odin.

When all the guests had left, her mother dismissed her, as she went to speak with Odin. Astrid went off to search for her brothers. She went around the palace, yet she could not find them. Until she heard a loud crash. Following the noise, she quickly found them.

Astrid walked into the Royal Dining Room where she saw the giant table on its side, the food spread out all over the floor. Hoards of food that had been thrown to waste by her angry older brother. She looked up to see Thor and Loki sitting and speaking with the Warriors Three and Sif.

She came into the room just in time to hear Thor declare, "It's decided then. We are going to Jotunheim."

"You are going where?!" Astrid said, barging into the room. "Did I hear that right? Did you just say that you are going to Jotenheim?" All the eyes turned to her and Loki stood up next to his brother. He opened his mouth to reply, but Thor beat him to it.

"We are going to Jotunheim to see why they attacked us. I need answers." He said with a voice that said; _Don't argue with me, Astrid._ It held powerful authority, but Astrid pointedly ignored it. He was her brother after all. She didn't have to do what he said.

"And I'm supposed to just walk away and let you go? No, I'm coming with you."

"No!" Loki said quickly. "It's too dangerous." Loki was always one to think of her safety first, and she was grateful, but she would not be told what to do by her older brothers.

"But Lady Sif is going." She said with a glance towards Sif. Sif glanced at Astrid and gave a small smile before turning to Thor and Loki.

"Let her come. It can't hurt to have her in case of an attack." Sif argued.

While Astrid knew the Warriors Three and Lady Sif well, she would not consider them to be her closest friends. They were closer to the princes than with her, for they were always training and going to war with each other. Though Lady Sif had become somewhat of a friend after she helped train Astrid in the basics of combat. With the help of Loki, Astrid knew how to defend herself in battle.

"All the more reason for her to stay." Loki said with an ice glare at Sif, silencing her from any more. He looked at Astrid, his gaze softening. "Sif is a warrior. You're not."

Astrid snorted. "So? I want to come, and there is nothing you can do to stop me." She said raising her chin defiantly, daring her older brothers to argue with her. They may be older than her, but she was no maiden for them to step on.

Loki opened his mouth to argue, but Thor cut him off with a sigh. "Let her come Loki. You know she won't listen. She's just like mother. When has anyone been able to change her mind once it had been decided?

Loki looked like he wanted to argue, but he let out a quiet sigh and with a defeated look on his face, nodded. He knew his brother was right.

Thor looked across the people before him and with a bright smile commanded, "Let's go."

Astrid busied herself with checking her weapons before slipping them into the correct places in her armor. The armor that had been made for her without the permission of her parents. And even though they allowed her to keep it, they hated seeing her wear it.

Odin and Frigga had not been happy when their daughter told them that she wanted to learn how to fight. She was a young girl when she finally begged her parents to let her train with the others. Before that, she would watch from afar as her brothers learned the art of fighting.

At first, they refused her. They did not want the princess of Asgard to learn how to fight. There were other things that she should learn, such as how to act like a lady and all of that boring stuff. This was not something that Astrid wanted to do.

So she secretly began training. Loki started training her at first. Some nights, when everyone was asleep, he would teach her what he learned during his lessons.

Their parents were not happy when they found out. But Astrid wanted to learn. She told them that she should at least know the basics of fighting, incase anything should happen. Odin was adamant that there was never going to be a reason that she would have to fight, but Astrid would not give up.

Finally, they reached a compromise. Astrid would learn how to fight if she also learned how to be a proper lady of Asgard. The manners and the dresses and how to act around others and how to be a good wife. All of that boring, useless stuff. But she allowed it since it meant she could now train with the others.

Loki and Lady Sif both helped her in her training, as they were both older than her. The Warriors Three were not too keen on training a young maiden of Asgard.

Astrid trained hard with the others, learning all she could, and became quite good. Not nearly as good as her brothers or the others, but she was still proud of how far she had come.

Once she finished inspecting her daggers, she slipped them into the belt around her waist. Since Loki helped her a lot with training, she picked up the skill of fighting with daggers. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif would use large weapons, like swords, but Astrid preferred the smaller weight of a dagger in her hand.

As she walked outside, she saw the others already there, dressed in their armor, weapons glinting in the bright sunshine.

Astrid approached them and the Warriors greeted her with a smile and a nod. She gave them one in return, before turning to Loki, who was holding her horse by the reins.

She thanked him before taking the reins in her hands and giving her grey horse a quick rub on the nose. This mare had been a gift to her from Loki when she was younger. He knew how much she loved the horses and going for rides on them, so he got Astrid her very own horse.

After a few quick pats, she hopped onto her back and looked up to see that the others were already mounted. Loki on a jet-black horse, and Thor on a gleaming white stallion. Complete opposites, similar to the brothers themselves.

The group urged the horses forward and onto the Bifrost. Within a few moments, they were galloping across the bridge, the pounding of hooves the only thing that could be heard.

As they got closer to the Bifrost, they slowed their horses down to a slow trot until they came upon Heimdall, the gatekeeper.

Astrid slid down from her horse and gave her a thankful pat on her neck.

With Thor leading the group, they all headed towards Heimdall, who was standing just outside of the Bifrost, watching them approach.

Loki glanced towards his brother and smiled, "Leave this to me."

He confidently turned to face Heimdall. "Good Heimdall…" Loki began before he was cut off.

"You're not dressed warmly enough." Heimdall stated without missing a beat.

Loki stared. "I'm sorry?"

"You think that you can deceive me?" Heimdall questioned him calmly.

Loki let out a light chuckle. "You must be mistaken-"

"Enough!" Thor's loud booming voice cut through the pair's conversation. Loki quieted instantly.

Thor approached the gatekeeper. "Heimdall, may we pass?"

Heimdall stared at him for a moment before responding, "Never has an enemy slipped my watch until this day." He looked over the group. "I wish to know how that happened."

"Then tell no one where we've gone until we have returned," Thor commanded. "Understand?" Astrid felt the power in her brother's voice. He certainly sounded like a king.

Thor stared at him for a moment longer before continuing on past Heimdall, the rest of the group beginning to follow. The warriors weaved their way around Loki, who had yet to move.

"What happened? Silver tongue turn to lead?" Volstagg joked as he passed the young prince, causing the others to chuckle.

Loki glanced his way and clenched his jaw before Astrid joined his side and rested her hand on his arm gently, making him look at her.

She gave him a small smile which he returned, before they both followed the others.

The golden dome of the Bifrost greeted them as they entered, the intricate designs that covered the walls fascinated Astrid since she was a child.

Loki and Astrid joined the others at the far side, where the Bifrost would open and send them to another world.

Heimdall followed behind the others and placed his infamous sword into the contraption that would activate the Bifrost.

Energy surges that looked a lot like electricity swept through the air around them as the golden dome of the Bifrost began to spin, before a large beam shot out into the vastness of space.

Heimdall's voice cut through the air. "Be warned. I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed." He paused as the Warriors Three and Sif glanced at each other uneasily. "And you will be left to die in the cold wastes of Jotenheim." Astrid felt a slight chill go down her back at the gatekeeper's words.

"Couldn't you just leave the bridge open for us?" Volstagg questioned softly.

"To leave the bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotenheim with you upon it," Heimdall responded calmly.

Astrid glanced over a Thor to see a smile on his face. "I have no plans to die today," he stated confidently.

"None do."

As the words left Heimdall's mouth, the Bifrost sucked the group away from Heimdall and Asgard.

The journey through the Bifrost was always a bit disorienting at first, though Astrid had learned to get used to it.

It was not long before the Bifrost deposited the group onto the icy grounds of Jotenheim.

Astrid shivered when they arrived, the wind catching her off guard. She wrapped the cloak tighter around her shoulders as the group began walking. As they moved, she stayed close to Loki and with a glance in his direction, she caught him checking on her from the corner of her eye.

With a small sigh and turned on him. "I don't need to be checked on every second Loki."

He was shocked for a moment, before nodding once. It looked like he wanted to argue, but he decided against it.

"You helped train me after all. I can take care of myself," Astrid added with a smile and nudged his arm playfully.

Loki looked down at her and returned her light smile. She could still see the worry in his eyes but said no more.

They continued walking deeper into the heart of the frozen planet when footsteps sounded around them. Lots of footsteps.

Frost Giants surrounded the small group and Loki involuntarily stepped closer to Astrid. She was too shocked to argue and felt comforted that he was near.

The Frost Giants stepped closer to them, surrounding the group. The warriors and Sif all had their hands on their weapons yet hesitating to draw them.

Astrid scanned the creatures in front of them, looking for potential weaknesses or flaws in their formation.

As they scanned the giants, another stepped out of the shadows in front of them. Once glance was all it took for Astrid to confirm that is the Laufey. King of Jotenheim.

Thor stepped forward confidently and faced the king.

"How did your people get into Asgard?" Thor asked, his voice ringing in the silence.

Laufey was silent before turning his head to look at Thor. "The House of Odin is filled with traitors." Astrid's eyes narrowed at his accusation.

"Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!" Thor shouted. Astrid stiffened at his tone, glancing towards the other Frost Giants.

Laufey stood up tall and spit down at them. "Your father is a murderer and a thief! You're nothing but a boy, trying to prove himself a man."

Thor was seething with rage. "This boy has grown tired of your mockery."

More Frost Giants came, already arming themselves. Sif and the Warriors Three glanced around nervously, but Thor was oblivious. He only saw his own rage. Astrid scooted closer to Loki, whose hands were twitching to his side where his own daggers were kept.

Loki went to Thor's side. "Thor, stop. Think. Look around you, we're outnumbered." Loki whispered urgently. "Think about Astrid. Do you want to place her in harms way here, like this?"

"Know your place brother." Thor replied with authority, not even sparing his brother a glance.

Laufey spoke again. "You do not know what your actions will unleash." He paused, as if remembering something, "I do. Go now, while I still allow it." He said to them. Astrid visibly relaxed.

Thor was silent, so Loki spoke up instead. "We will accept your most gracious offer." Thor glared at Loki and turned to Laufey. He looked like he was going to argue, but just curled his lip and turned away from him and started walking away.

Astrid sighed in relief. But that relief was short lived.

"Run back home little princess." Laufey sneered.

Everyone paused for a moment.

"Damn." Loki said finality, before stepping closer to Astrid's side. The Warriors Three rolled their eyes and sighed. Astrid tensed up again. They all knew where this was going.

Thor smirked and turned around swiftly, to smack Laufey in the jaw with his hammer, sending him flying into a wall of ice.

"Next?" Thor said, a smile plastered on his face.

All at once, the Frost Giants came running at them. Thor easily batted them away. Loki stayed by Astrid's side. She pulled out her daggers and began slashing at the Frost Giant nearest to her.

The giant lunged for her but she spun around, dodging his blows and landing a few of her own. The giant stumbled and Astrid swiped her dagger across the back of its leg, sending it to the ground.

A growl sounded from behind her and she quickly turned to see another giant heading her way before a knife was thrown at it, sending it to the ground.

She glanced over and saw Loki breathing heavily, yet unfazed by the battle. Astrid gave him a small smile in thanks, which he returned, before they both turned to the remaining Frost Giants.

Laufey watched the battle take place when Thor turned towards him. "At least make it a challenge for me!" Astrid groaned. Must he make everything more difficult than it has to be?

More Frost Giants appeared, running towards the group.

As more giants appeared, Astrid could see the toll it was taking on the others. There were too many and they were outnumbered. She turned to see Thor easily taking down one giant after another. Knowing he was doing okay, she fought off another giant before glancing around quickly for Loki.

She saw him trick a giant with one of his illusions and she smiled before heading over to his side. There was a lull in the battle for a moment, leaving the two siblings to breathe before more Frost Giants headed their way.

Astrid looked up at her brother and they both decided what to do next. The pair turned away from each other, keeping their backs close, as they fought, protecting the other.

When there we're not many left, Astrid glanced behind her to see one coming towards Loki. She knew he could handle this one and smiled as he shoved his dagger into its chest. She saw it grab at his arm, but she knew that the armor should protect him from their freezing touch. She turned to help Sif who was battling three giants at once.

Once those were taken care of, Astrid heard a cry of pain. She turned to see Fandrall impaled with a long ice shard.

"Thor!" Sif called towards the god, who was too busy having fun smashing the Frost Giants around him.

Volstagg and Hogun aided Fandrall, carrying him away from the fray while Loki shouted again towards his brother. "We must go!"

"Then go!" Thor returned, smashing another giant.

Laufey stared at the destruction around him before touching a wall beside him.

Suddenly, the wall started to shake. Ice trembled and dropped away and a pair of red eyes was visible. Loki appeared by Astrid's side and his arm snaked around her back. "Run." He whispered, eyes glued to the creature, before going to help with Fandrall.

The creature came stumbling out of the ice and let out a roar. It was huge. Astrid stared at it with wide, terrified eyes. The monster was easily 50 feet tall and took huge strides, beginning to make its way towards the group of Asgardians.

"Thor!" Loki shouted again, but again, it went unheard.

Astrid was too busy staring at the monster to notice the Frost Giant come up behind her. She turned in time to see it and try to dodge its blow, but it still managed to make a gash in her side with its icy blade. She gasped as the pain shot through her. The burn from the coldness of the wound caused her to cry out.

Loki was by her side in an instant, fighting the Frost Giant and forcing it away from her.

Astrid was doubled over in pain when Loki came back and grabbed her shoulders, helping steady her.

"I've got you. You're okay," he whispered softly as he began to move her towards the others, who were already trying to flee.

The creature roared again and Astrid felt the terror flow through her veins as she felt the ground shake around her.

As they were fleeing, Astrid turned to see the creature running after them. With a gasp, she clutched Loki tighter.

All of a sudden, a large blast of lightning appeared and cracked the ground, sending the monster down below. Having a God of Thunder around was not so bad after all.

With a sigh of relief, they continued until they had made it to the spot where the Bifrost had deposited them.

"Heimdall!" Volstagg yelled. "Open the bridge."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, a large clawed paw reached up over the edge of the cliff, causing Astrid to gasp and momentarily forget her pain.

Large red eyes appeared as the creature pulled itself up to tower above the helpless group.

With a mighty roar, the creature lifted a paw to kill the group, but Thor flew through its open mouth and out the back of its neck.

The creature suddenly silenced, before it toppled over, glazed eyes no longer staring at the Asgardians. Thor landed beside them as Lady Sif appeared at Astrid's other side, helping take some of her weight from Loki.

But their relief was short lived.

More Frost Giants appeared, surrounding the small group. Astrid knew that Heimdall would not open the Bifrost with all of these Frost Giants here. A fear gripped her heart as she realized that she was going to die here. She gripped onto Loki tighter, her throat beginning to close as she fought back the beginnings of tears.

Loki looked down at her helplessly, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared and then Odin was there, sitting atop of his steed. Laufey rose up to meet him. "Odin. You look old." He said with a sneer towards the old man.

Odin looked at Laufey and without even looking to the group, replied. "These were the actions of a boy. Treat them as such."

Laufey smiled. "How about we finish this?"

Odin gave a curt nod, and just when Laufey was about to attack, the light appeared and sucked Odin, Thor, Loki, Astrid, Sif, and the Warriors Three with it.

A moment later, they were back in Asgard. Astrid doubled over in pain again once the adrenaline began to wear off and she knew that she was safe, and Loki held her up. "Look at what you've done!" He shouted towards Thor, who was standing in front of their father with a proud smile on his face. "This is why she should not have come!" He shouted again.

Thor glanced in their direction and seemed to notice Astrid's wound for the first time. His eyes grew concerned and worried as he took a step in their direction before Odin held up a hand to tell him to stay.

Odin looked at his only daughter and looked to Lady Sif. "Take her to the Healing Chambers."

Lady Sif nodded quickly and Loki begrudgingly let go of her other side to turn to his father and brother.

As she was limping away, hand pressed to her side, she heard yelling and knew that Thor was in a lot of trouble. As Sif helped her across the bridge towards the horses, Astrid heard the Bifrost activate again. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping to see what was going on but the world began to spin around her.

She desperately tried to reorient herself, but her eyelids grew heavy and while she could hear Sif telling her to hold on, her body was going limp then everything went black.


	3. Sick Day

_I'm so sorry that this has taken so long. I did not intend for that to happen, but I started a new job a few weeks ago and that has been keeping my attention for a time. I hope to work on this more in the future and set up a schedule, like once a week for an update. Hopefully I will able to stick to that. I will certainly try._

 _And as always, thank you for reading!_

* * *

Astrid opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times at the bright lights around her, before turning her head slightly to look beside her. She saw her mother holding her hand tightly with tears in her eyes. She could tell that Frigga was trying hard to hold her fear inside.

When Frigga saw Astrid awake, she let out a loud breath, as if she was holding it for a long time and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She said and kissed her hand and smiled. "I lost one child today, I didn't want to lose another."

Astrid startled at the comment. "What do you mean? Where is Thor?"

Frigga paled at the question and glanced down at their intertwined hands before answering softly, "Thor was banished."

Astrid gasped softly. She knew that they were in trouble, but she did not imagine that their father would do that to his oldest son.

"And Loki?" she asked quietly, dreading the answer that he was banished too and she was left all alone.

"Still here. Odin knew it was Thor who led you there. Only he was banished."

"But we all are guilty! We all knowingly went! How is that fair?" She asked, looking at her mother.

Frigga only shrugged. "It was your father's decision. Not mine. If it was, Thor would still be here," she finished quietly.

Astrid sat up slowly, glancing down at her side, which was covered in a bandage that had slowly started to bleed through and wincing slightly.

"The ice shard missed all vital organs. It was just pretty deep. You'll be okay." She said with a smile.

Astrid let out a soft sigh of relief. It was good to know that she would be okay. It still hurt like hell though.

The door slowly creaked open, and Loki stepped in. His expression was unreadable.

Frigga looked up and smiled, before turning to Astrid. "I will let you speak with Loki." She said before standing and placed a reassuring hand on Loki's shoulder, before she walked out the door.

Loki waited until the door was closed before going to her side and sitting down in the chair that her mother had just previously occupied.

"How are you feeling?" He asked softly.

"I'm alive, so I guess that's good." Astrid joked with a smile.

His eyes pierced through hers, clearly not amused. "That's not what I asked."

Astrid rolled her eyes, though touched at his concern, "I'm fine Loki. Really. Don't worry about me."

"It's my job to look after you!" He exclaimed, his eyes boring into hers.

"No, it's not! Astrid retorted. "I can look after myself.

"Yes, clearly you can." He gestured to her in the bed, bandaged up around her waist.

Astrid was seething. "That was not my fault! Stop treating me like a child Loki!"

"Then stop acting like one!" He turned on her, his eyes blazing.

Astrid watched him, unfazed by his outburst. She was hurt by his words, but she would never show it. She sat up higher to retort something before wincing slightly at the pain that shot through her body. Loki quickly reached out to gently push her back down into the bed. "Don't move too much. You'll hurt yourself."

Astrid reluctantly listened and settled down again in the sheets.

Loki sighed and covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry. But you're my only sister."

Astrid laughed, the earlier tension lost. "Please not this mushy stuff again!" She punched him lightly in the arm. "I never thought I would ever hear something like that come out of your mouth, brother."

Loki looked up at her and smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. "Yeah, well it won't come out again, so remember this one time," he said as he sat back, amused.

Astrid laughed and he laughed along with her.

"So, when can I leave?" She asked hopefully.

"Soon. Probably tomorrow. The wound was not that bad." He replied, glancing at her bandage and noticed that it had started to bleed through. Loki reached over onto the table by her bed and grabbed a fresh bandage before moving to her injured side and began to change the old cloth.

Astrid shifted slightly to give him more room and allowed him to work. As he worked quietly, she murmured softly, "What happened to Thor?"

She saw Loki stiffen, his fingers pausing over her broken skin, but quickly continuing as he replied, "Odin banished him." Astrid looked at his face, noticing the quick look of sadness pass over his features before it returned to its neutral state.

"But that's not fair! It was all of our faults! Not just his!" Astrid said angrily.

"I know. But there is nothing you can do." Loki said softly as he finished bandaging her wound and sat back again.

Astrid sighed and put her head back down on the pillow. "Yeah, I know."

Loki sighed and stood up. "You should rest, little sister," He said, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly, as he looked down at her affectionately.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah I know…" She said, but a smile was visible on her face.

Loki chuckled softly. "I will return later to see how you are doing" He said, giving her hand a quick squeeze, before walking out the door, letting it close with a soft thud.

Astrid rolled over, wincing slightly. She looked at the table beside her and noticed for the first time, that her favorite book was sitting there.

She grabbed it and opened the cover. A note slipped out onto her lap. She picked it up and read it silently.

 _Thought you might get bored._

 _Enjoy._

 _-L_

Astrid rolled her eyes and smiled. He must have snuck it in with him when she wasn't looking. Or used his magic.

Hopefully no one would come in for a while, as she was supposed to be resting. But Loki knew that she would not sleep, and instead brought her a book to read. He knew her so well.

Astrid picked up the book and started reading, letting the rest of the world fade away around her as she was sucked into the pages of the story.


	4. The Ugly Truth

The next day, Astrid was finally let out of the Healing Ward. Eir told her to keep it easy and rest and she would be fine. As she was heading back towards her chambers, she saw Loki slink away into the shadows of another hall. His pace was quick and he kept glancing back over his shoulder, as if looking to see if anyone had seen him.

Astrid changed her direction and followed him, keeping far away, but close enough to see where he was going. Loki was heading towards the Weapons Vault. She wondered what he was doing there, and why he had to sneak.

He slipped inside and by the time Astrid quietly slid the doors open, he was at the far end, facing the relic from Jotunheim. The Casket of Ancient Winters. The source of power of Jotunheim.

He was holding it in the air, but froze when he heard the thud of the doors closing behind Astrid.

Astrid walked down the steps, favoring her injured side a bit. She glanced down at the place where the bodies of the guards had laid only days before. A shudder ran through her body and she forced the image away, turning towards her brother again.

"Loki, what are you doing?" She asked with curiosity, coming closer to him.

He didn't answer her, though she noticed how tense his body had become.

"Loki?" Astrid tried again, taking another step forward. Loki did not move a muscle.

"Stop!" A booming voice sounded from behind them and Astrid spun around to see her father standing at the top of the stairs.

Only when he heard his father's voice did Loki finally move. He set the relic back down on its stand and turned around slowly to face their father.

Astrid gasped and she felt all the air rush out of her lungs, as if she had had a hard blow to the stomach. All of her limbs froze and she could do nothing but stare at her brother. The man who currently, looked nothing like him.

His skin was a shade of pale blue and his normally greenish blue eyes were now red. Blood red. He had patterns covering his face, causing ridges in his normally smooth skin. This was not her brother. It couldn't be. It was another one of his tricks. It had to be.

Loki eyes landed on Odin, completely ignoring Astrid. The look on his face was one that she had never seen before.

"What am I?" He asked, his tone emotionless.

"You're my son." Odin answered calmly.

"What more than that?" Loki spit out, his skin shifting back to its normal color.

Astrid watched the shift and she slowly backed away, until she was at the bottom of the steps, but Loki did not seem to pay her any attention. She wanted to speak up, ask what was going on, but her mouth would not form the words, no matter how much she tried.

"The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day was it?" Loki said, walking towards them slowly, and then stopping when he stood right in front of them, his eyes fixed on Odin.

Astrid looked at her father. Clearly he knew something that she didn't. He knew what this was about.

Odin paused, glancing down at the floor before meeting Loki's eyes and replied. "No. In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple, and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring. Abandoned and suffering, left to die." Odin looked away. "Laufey's son."

Astrid stared at her father in shock. He couldn't be saying what she though he was saying. One glance in Loki's direction showed that he was just as surprised as she was.

"Laufey's son…." Loki repeated to himself, finally tearing his gaze away from Odin as he thought over his response. Questioning it. Trying to convince himself it was a lie. A trick. But the nagging voice in his head said otherwise.

"Yes…" Odin confirmed his suspicions.

Loki met his eyes again. "Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?" Loki asked in disbelief.

"You were an innocent child."

"No. You took me for a purpose. What was it?" Loki said, his anger and pain beginning to show as he desperately asked for answers that he needed.

Odin was silent.

"Tell me!" Loki shouted and Astrid could see how he was breaking inside, needing to know the truth. Astrid watched in pain, as a tear slipped down his cheek, but Odin didn't seem to notice.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace, through you."

"What?" Loki whispered, disbelief marring his features.

Odin glanced at the ground. "But those plans no longer matter."

Loki's face twisted into one of betrayal. "So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?" Loki asked Odin, the betrayal cutting deep. The secret that he was not really an Odinson. Not the brother of Thor and Astrid.

"Why do you twist my words?" Odin sighed, almost in annoyance.

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you?" Astrid silently wondered the same thing. Why had they not been told? Had Odin ever planned on telling them one day or was this a secret that he would have taken to the grave?

"You're my son. I only wanted to protect you from the truth." Odin spoke softly, the love for his son showing in his words, but Loki didn't seem to hear it. All he saw was the lie.

"What because I-I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night? Like you told Thor and Astrid how bad Frost Giants were and I was one all along?! You let them believe that I was one of them! You let them believe a lie! You let _us_ believe that they were monsters," Loki said, his voice cracking.

"No…"Odin said softly, but knowing it would do no good.

"You know it all makes sense now," Loki took a few steps forward. "why you favored Thor all these years," Loki began stalking up the steps. "because no matter how much you claimed to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the Throne of Asgard." Loki's voice went from pain, to anger. He was spitting the words out by the time he finished. Astrid watched helplessly, wishing she could somehow take away his pain.

Odin abruptly sat down on the stairs and reached out towards Loki as he came toward them, but Loki was too busy drowning in his own anger, that he didn't seem to care.

Odin suddenly went unconscious on the stairs, and Astrid rushed to his side. "Father?" she called out, placing her hand on his shoulder and tried shaking him away, to no avail.

The anger in Loki seemed to slip away and all that was left was the sadness. He reached out hesitantly and placed his hand on Odin's. At this moment, Loki looked like a broken son gazing down at his father, whom he still loved.

"Guards!" He shouted. "Guards please help!" The doors opened, and two guards rushed to Odin's side. Loki and Astrid stepped away. They gently picked him up and carried him away to the healers.

Astrid watched the guards take her father away and she saw Loki turn towards her. She glanced at him and saw the tears slip down his face. She had never seen him look so completely broken as he did now.

He took a step towards her. "Astrid…. Please-," But he broke off when Astrid took a step back, away from him. She couldn't explain why she did it. Her body moved on its own accord, and as soon as she did it, she knew it was the wrong thing to do.

In that moment, he looked even more broken as his sister backed away from him. He sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep the sobs inside his chest.

"Loki…." Astrid tried, taking a step towards him, reaching out to place her hand on his arm.

As soon as she brushed his arm, he ripped it away from her and backed away, trying to mask his emotions as he abruptly turned and quickly left the room, leaving Astrid standing there in shock for a moment before she ran after him.

She slammed the doors open and was greeted with the brightly lit hallways of the palace, but Loki was nowhere to be found. When he wanted to get away from them, he had his ways to do it.

Astrid's shoulders slumped in defeat as she leaned back against the wall, letting her head fall back on it as she closed her eyes, trying to make sense of all that had been revealed.

But one thought stood out among the rest. If Odin had lied to them about Loki's heritage, what else Odin had lied to them about?

* * *

 **So here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed!**


	5. The Promise Breaker

After the incident in the weapon's vault, Astrid walked around aimlessly, trying to clear her mind and make sense of the new information she had been told. It didn't work.

By the time she made her way to her father's side, her mother told her that Loki was now officially king of Asgard until Odin awoke. She also informed her that Loki had already been by to talk to her about his parentage.

"I tried convincing him that we are his family and that we love him, but I fear he does not believe me," Frigga glanced up at her. "Perhaps you could convince him."

Astrid looked away, not being able to meet her mother's gaze. "I don't think he wants to see me right now," she admitted sadly.

Her mother saw the look in her eyes, but did not press further.

Most of her time was spent next to her father's side, along with her mother. The few times she did try to approach Loki, the guards told her that he was busy and did not wish to be interrupted. Astrid reluctantly left every time. She wished she could go back to that moment in the vault and change the way she reacted. She would give anything to change what had happened if it meant that this rift would not appeared between them.

A day later, Astrid watched the sky of Asgard darken for the night as she approached her father's side once more. He had not changed.

Frigga sat on his other side, eyes watching her husband protectively, yet sadly.

"I'm here now, mother. You can go rest."

Frigga glanced up at her daughter and gave her a weary smile. "Thank you dear, but that is not necessary."

"You need to rest, mother. Please," Astrid pleaded quietly as she went to her mother's side and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

Frigga squeezed back in response. "I will soon. I promise."

Astrid sighed in defeat, but nodded. As she headed to the other side of the large bed, she heard something outside the door.

Her head whipped towards the closed doors as she heard a loud thump and watched in horror as ice slowly started to spread from the center of the two large golden doors.

Frigga immediately jumped into action and grabbed a sword that rested by the bed, but all Astrid could do was stare as the doors burst open to reveal two Frost Giants.

"Run, Astrid!" Frigga demanded as the first giant came towards her. Astrid backed away, glancing around desperately for another weapon.

Frigga slashed the sword across the chest of the first giant and he went down, but before she could swing the sword up again, the other giant knocked her out of the way with his large arm, sending her rolling across the room.

"Mother!" Astrid cried as she ran to her side, fearfully looking up at the Frost Giant that towered above them. And she recognized him. Laufey.

Laufey barely spared her a glance before heading towards Odin.

Astrid spotted the sword that her mother had dropped and reached for it, clasping it in her hand.

Frigga grabbed her hand in warning, but she ripped away from her and approached the king of the Frost Giants.

He had just made it to Odin's bed when Astrid slashed the sword down his back.

Laufey let out a howl of pain as he turned around, locking his blood red eyes on her. The same shade as Loki's.

She backed away to raise her sword again, but his blue hand shot out and grabbed her throat.

Astrid sputtered as she lost her grip of the sword. It clattered to the ground as Laufey gripped her throat tightly and Astrid began to feel the burn from the cold. Her hands reached up to pry his hand away from her neck, but it was so use.

Astrid saw an ice shard grow in Laufey's hand and she heard her mother cry out desperately as she charged Laufey, but he simply laughed and kicked her away.

Laufey smirked at her and glanced at Odin, who was still asleep in his bed. "It is said that you can still hear what is going on around you," he turned back to look at Astrid, as she struggled in his grip. The lack of air and the burn around her throat made her see black around the edges of her vision. "I hope it's true. So you can hear me kill your daughter before I kill you. And before you die, you will know that her death, as well as yours, will come at the hands of Laufey."

Astrid met his red eyes, fear creeping up her body as the shard came into her line of vision. A whimper escaped her throat as he brought it closer to her body.

Before the shard could plunge into her body, a bright blast knocked Laufey away from her and Astrid fell to the floor, coughing, before glancing up to see Loki standing in the doorway with Odin's staff, his golden horns proudly resting on his head.

"And your death came by the son of Odin," Loki declared before he pointed the staff at Laufey, before another blast shot out of the tip, disintegrating Laufey where he lay.

As the embers from what was left of Laufey died, Loki and Frigga both hurried to Astrid's side.

Her coughs had subsided and she was no longer gasping for air as Frigga checked her over, pausing as the slight burn mark around her neck, before pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

Astrid looked at Loki over her mother's shoulder and gave him a small smile, grabbing his hand and squeezing in thanks. She saw the small smile cross his face and the relief bloom in his eyes as he gave a small squeeze back.

As Frigga pulled away, Loki looked at her and his eyes turned serious. "They will pay for what that have done today."

Frigga looked at her son before pulling him into a hug as well.

"Loki!" a voice called from the doorway. Astrid turned her head to see Thor standing there.

"Thor!" Frigga exclaimed as she let go of Loki and raced to her oldest, pulling him into a hug as well. Astrid smiled in relief, seeing her older brother safe and back home. His concerned eyes met hers for a moment, but when he noticed she was fine, they turned back to Loki.

Thor hugged his mother with one arm, the other holding his hammer, but his eyes were locked on Loki. As Frigga let go, Thor took a step towards him. "Did you tell her?" he questioned him. "How you sent the Destroyer to kill my friends, to kill me?"

"What?" Frigga gasped, turning to look at Loki. Astrid faced her brother as well.

"I was simply enforcing Odin's last command," Loki explained calmly.

"You're a talented liar, brother. You always have been," Thor seethed.

"It's good to have you back," Loki smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go destroy Jotunheim." With that, he aimed the spear towards Thor and sent Thor crashing through the wall of the tower with another blast.

Astrid gasped loudly and Frigga reached towards Loki, but he brushed her away as he strode out of the room. "Get her to the healers," he commanded as he left the room, cape flapping behind him.

Frigga looked torn, but as she looked down at her daughter, the burn in the shape of a hand print wrapped around her throat caught her attention and she pulled Astrid to her feet and started to lead her to the healing room.

"But what about Thor and Loki?!" Astrid demanded as she tried to escape her mother's iron grip.

"I will deal with them. But you need to get that looked at. And that is final," Frigga finished as she saw Astrid open her mouth to protest.

Astrid grimaced, but closed her mouth and allowed her mother to take her to the healer. There was no arguing with her mother.

As they approached the healing ward, Astrid's mind turned back to her brothers and what they were doing at that very moment.

 **Loki's POV**

Loki was lying on the Rainbow Bridge with Thor's hammer sitting on his chest, holding him down, preventing him from moving. He let out a groan at the pressure it put on his chest.

Thor was trying to stop the Bifrost from destroying Jotunheim. A twinge of satisfaction went through Loki as he watched him trying to approach the Bifrost, but it was filled with so much power that it did not allow him to get close to it.

 _He will never be able to stop it. Then father will be proud of me, and not him. He will realize that I am his son._ Loki thought to himself. _I will finally be more that a tool to use whenever he deems fit._

"Look at you, the mighty Thor," Loki taunted him. "with all your strength. What good does it do you now, huh?" He convulsed in pain from the weight of the hammer, but watching Thor realize he was helpless was even better.

"Do you hear me, _brother?"_ _he spat_ _._ _"_ There's nothing you can do!" He shouted, a small smile on his face.

Loki gasped as the pressure suddenly disappeared and he sat up to see Thor the hammer down onto the Rainbow Bridge, sending cracks throughout the entire width of the bridge.

He stared at Thor in shock, as he hit it repeatedly, breaking it even more.

"If you destroy the bridge, you'll never see her again!" Loki shouted, disgusted at Thor's feelings for the Midgardian mortal, but hoping to use his feelings as a way to get him to stop destroying the bridge. But Thor kept smashing away.

Loki stood and grabbed his staff and right when Thor paused for a moment, he lunged at Thor, spear outstretched.

Thor smashed the bridge a final time, and a shock wave of power rippled through the air, sending them both flying backwards.

Then, he was falling. He grabbed a hold of his staff, just as Thor grabbed the other end, and then suddenly, they were no longer falling.

Loki looked up to see Odin had grabbed Thor's foot, keeping them both from falling into an eternal abyss.

Loki glanced around him, at his failed plan. He saw the Bifrost fall into the abyss, no longer shooting its beam of power into Jotunheim.

He looked up at his father with a pleading gaze. "I could have done it father. I could have done it! For you! For all of us….." Loki's eyes were wet with unshed tears, but Odin didn't seem to notice.

"No, Loki." Odin said simply.

Loki looked at him in shock. _I am not his son. I never was._ The truth hit him like Thor's hammer. _What is the point now? I'll only be put in prison for the rest of my life. I'm not even his son. I can't watch Thor become King. I would rather die._

Loki stared up at Odin and Thor, his face expressionless.

"Loki, no!" Thor gasped out, sensing what he was about to do.

 _I'm sorry, Astrid. Thor will take care of you. You don't need me. No one does._

The thoughts finished in his head, and he let go and watched as Thor was getting farther and farther away from him. The last thing he heard were Thor's cries for him as he fell away from them and everything he ever knew.

 **Astrid's POV**

As the healer finished placing a healing balm on her wound, she gave the healer her thanks before she jumped off the table and out the door. Her mother cried out after her and followed her out into the hallway.

"Where would they have gone?" she demanded as she turned to face her mother.

"I will find them, but please Astrid. You need to take it easy. You were just injured a few days ago," Frigga pleaded.

Before Astrid could reply, she heard the Bifrost activate. But it sounded a bit different than it normally did.

Astrid glanced outside, and saw the Bifrost shooting a beam out into space. "They are at the Bifrost." She said before running away from her mother's calls going on deaf ears.

She raced to the stables and grabbed a horse that was already saddled and ready to go.

She rode out across the bridge, pushing the horse as fast as it would go.

She heard a loud crack, and shock waves shoved her back, sending her off the horse, and landing hard on the Rainbow Bridge. She grunted from the pain, but pushed herself up and watched the horse run in the opposite direction, frightened from the noise and the shock wave, before turning to look at the Bifrost.

Except, there was no Bifrost.

Wait, what? How could the Bifost be gone? There was only a place where it should have been.

Astrid ran the rest of the way, aggravating her wound a bit, but she pushed through the pain and as she neared the end of the bridge, she saw Odin and Thor starring down into the abyss, where the Bifrost fell.

She reached their side and looked down, seeing some remnants of the Bifrost before they disappeared into the vastness of space.

"What happened?" She asked, looking at Thor.

He didn't look away from the space below them, but responded quietly. "Loki was trying to destroy Jotunheim. The only way I could stop him, was to destroy the Bifrost."

Astrid startled for a second, but realized that he was trying to destroy the race that he was. The monsters that they always thought they were. Did Thor know about Loki's heritage?

"Where is Loki?" She asked, looking around for him, before turning back to her father and brother when she didn't see him.

They never took their eyes off the abyss. She saw a tear fall down Odin's cheek.

She glanced down into space, confused, before the reality hit her.

Astrid backed away slowly. "No, that can't be true!" She looked to her father and brother, hoping they would tell her she was wrong. That what she was thinking was not what had actually happened. That Loki had fled in fear of what they would do to him. That he was somewhere on Asgard and not floating in the unending cosmos beneath them.

They stayed silent.

Astrid started gasping for air and her lungs closed up, her legs wobbling, barely able to hold her body up. "He's not dead! I would have known!" She was practically shouting now, her vision blurring with tears.

Thor finally looked up at her and she finally saw the red-rimmed eyes filled with unshed tears, and enveloped her in a giant bear hug.

While his warmth would have been comforting on any other day, she didn't want it now. She wanted Loki! Thor never cared for her as much as Loki did. Thor was always too busy training to become King and would always insist that he did not have time to play with his little sister, but Loki always had time for her! Loki was the one who was always there for her when she needed him, so where was he?

Astrid pushed him away, and he let her. She turned to look at her father, the tears slowly starting to descend down her face. "Is this true, father? Please tell me it's not true!" she begged.

Odin slowly met her gaze and nodded.

Astrid felt her heart stop and she fell to her knees and started sobbing, her face in her hands.

Thor approached her again and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to his body. Astrid was too distraught to pull away.

After a bit of sobbing, she looked up at them. "How could you do this? How could you let him die?" Astrid was shouting at them, her grief mixing with her rage.

"He was your son, no matter if he was a Frost Giant!" She yelled at Odin. She didn't bother to see Thor's reaction to the news, and she didn't care.

"He was my brother, no matter what!" It felt as if her heart was shattered, and nothing could fix it.

Finally, she stood on shaky legs and looked down where Loki fell, but she turned away, not able to see the place where her brother fell. Where his life had ended. The tears still streamed steadily down her face.

A memory passed through her head.

When Astrid was small, she had a reoccurring nightmare that a Frost Giant had killed her family before turning to kill her. She would wake up screaming almost every night from this dream.

Odin and Thor barely ever came in to comfort her anymore, after it became a routine, and were secretly tired of dealing with it.

Frigga came a few minutes after he scream to soothe her terrified daughter, but Loki was always the first one there.

He would burst through the door, quicker than anyone else, and just hold her shaking form. She would cry in his shoulder, and he would just let her, whispering soothing words into her ear as he rubbed circles on her back. He would tell her that everything would be okay, and that he would never leave her. He promised her many times during nights like those, that he would never leave her.

Her father and brother appeared before her again, as the memory faded and she started sobbing again, wrapping her arms around her torso, as if she could hold together all the pieces of her that had been broken.

He didn't keep his promise.

* * *

 **I'm really sorry about this one. I know it hurt. It hurt me to write it. But now, we start heading towards the events of The Avengers, which is exciting and I hope you guys enjoy where this leads. Thank you for reading, my dears, and I will see you soon with the next update. :)**


	6. The Journey to Midgard

**I'm gonna warn you that this chapter gets a bit sad. Sorry about that.**

* * *

The night of Loki's death, Astrid had trouble sleeping. Her tears had stopped because she no longer had anything left to cry. After the news, Astrid holed herself up in her bedroom, sobbing into her sheets. Her mother had stopped by to see how she was doing, her voice soft and soothing, but Astrid could see the toll it had taken on her as well. Her eyes were red and sometimes, she would stare off into nothing, with such a sad look in her eyes.

After Frigga left her alone, Astrid tried to fall asleep. Her body ached and she was so tired, but sleep did not come from a long time. When she finally did fall asleep, it was restless and did not last long. Astrid woke up screaming. She found herself covered in sweat and breathing heavily, fresh tears streaming down her face.

It was the same nightmare she always had, but this time, it was slightly different. As Loki lay dying from the blade of a Frost Giant with Astrid at his side, he looked up at her with contempt and hatred.

"You could have done more. Why didn't you do more? You're useless Astrid. What kind of a sister are you?" he spat at her as his blood run onto her hands.

"I'm sorry! Please! I'm sorry, Loki! Don't do this!" Astrid begged, but as Loki died on the floor in front of her, the last look in his eyes was that of pure hatred.

Astrid did what she could to save him, but she was powerless to save him once again. As she lay sobbing over his body, crying out for him, she finally woke up, letting out a loud cry.

She sighed and covered her face in her hands and looked up at the door. Surely Loki would have been here by now. He always came quickly. Sometimes, it seemed as if he was standing outside her door, guarding her, waiting for her screams to reach his ears.

She sat for a bit longer, before a sob broke through her chest as she remembered the horrible truth. Loki was dead. He wouldn't be coming to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Nothing would ever be okay again.

Astrid sighed and tried to control her breathing, when the door opened.

She looked up, her heart stopping in her chest for a moment, expecting Loki to come through the door, but saw her mother instead. She tried to contain her disappointment.

She sighed and lay back down, trying to hide her tears from her mother. Frigga went to her side and smoothed her hair down soothingly.

"I'm okay mother. Really. You didn't have to come." Astrid insisted softly.

"I did have to come. Since…." Frigga broke off, but she didn't need to continue. Astrid knew what she was going to say. Astrid closed her eyes, fighting off the fresh waves of tears that threatened to run down her cheeks.

"I'm okay mother. Just tired." She said, curling up into her sheets again, more for a show for her mother that she was okay. Besides, they had already sat together and cried for hours earlier. She did not need to see her mother to see her like that again.

Frigga kissed her head, whispering a soft "I love you", and left, leaving Astrid to grieve on her own.

During the time that passed, Astrid put all her efforts into training. She trained all day, mostly with Sif, but even the Warriors Three helped her this time. Her skills improved with their help. During the evenings, Thor would train with her, knowing that this was how she coped with Loki's death.

With her free time, she spent time reading books about magic, slowly training herself some simple magic. At times, she would ask her mother's help with something, seeing as she had trained Loki, but mostly, she learned it on her own. Her skills were far from good, even farther from what Loki could do, but it helped her keep a piece of him close to her.

This is how Astrid spent a year of her life, constantly training to distract herself from the pain that she felt every day. The times after she would awaken, when her eyes were still heavy from sleep were the best times because in those few seconds, she would forget what had happened. In those moments, she was free from pain, but it always came crashing back down on her.

One morning, after Astrid had gotten up early to train before the sun had risen, she was called to see her father, as was Thor.

She walked alongside her brother and when she entered the Throne Room, she saw her father and Heimdall standing there waiting for them.

She wondered what he was doing there, but stayed silent, waiting for her father to speak.

They stopped in front of Odin both bowed their heads slightly. Then, he spoke. "You both must go to Midgard."

Confusion washed through Astrid as Thor immediately spoke, "But how? The Bifrost is destroyed."

"Dark energy. I will be able to use enough to get you there. You will come back with the Tesseract." Odin replied.

"But I thought the Tesseract was stolen ages ago." Astrid interrupted.

"It was. You are going to retrieve it, and stop the one who wields it," Odin stated, glancing at Heimdall.

"Who is its master?" Thor asked, looking at Heimdall as well.

"Loki." Heimdall replied simply.

The room was silent. Astrid's heart froze in her chest as she contemplated the words.

"But Loki's dead…." Astrid whispered softly, her voice cracking with emotion.

"No, he is not. He never was. He was beyond what I could see. But now he is on Midgard, and you both must stop him." Heimdall said.

"What do you mean, stop him?" Thor questioned. "What is he doing with the Tesseract?"

"We do not know what his plans are, but he has already caused havoc on Midgard, killing some of the mortals in the process. Whatever his intentions with the Tesseract are, they cannot be good," Odin spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, as if this news was nothing to him. As if his son was not doing this. "You will leave immediately."

They were dismissed to prepare. Astrid slipped her daggers into the crevices of her armor, but paused, staring down at the sleek dagger she held in her hand. This was Loki's dagger. Something she used to remember him. So that when she fought, he was still with her.

Her happiness that Loki was alive was crushed by the amount of hurt that coursed through her. Loki pretended to be dead. He faked his death. He let her believe that he was dead, gone from her life forever. And now that she had finally began to accept that he was gone, he decided to come back and wreak havoc on Midgard, harming innocent mortals. Her hurt was replaced by anger.

She contemplated about leaving this dagger behind, but as Thor called her name, she quickly shoved it into her armor, before following Thor, her brilliant violet cape fluttering behind her.

They quickly hugged their mother goodbye, and Astrid could see the fresh tears in her eyes. "Bring him home," Frigga told them softly, giving their hands firm squeezes, before she released them and they went to find Odin.

The process of sending them to Midgard was a lot like using the Bifrost, though it consumed much more energy.

Before they were sent hurtling through space towards Midgard, Odin placed his hands on both of their shoulders. "Be cautious, my children," he whispered, before Thor was sent through first. After a few moments, Odin turned to her. He gave her a gentle nod, and then she was hurtling towards Midgard.

Using the Bifrost was thrilling, but it was always a bit unsettling. This was more unsettling, the fear slipping into her mind as the sky opened up around her and she was suddenly flying through the sky of Midgard.

As she was speeding through the air, she saw Thor appear out of some sort of aircraft, before heading towards a tall mountain that overlooked a forest.

Astrid twisted her body in the air, angling herself towards the mountain, letting gravity pull her down to the ground, since she had no flying abilities. She relaxed her body, but braced her legs for the impact.

As she crashed down onto the mountain, she landed in a crouch, her hand splayed out on the rough rock underneath her, steadying herself, though her knee came down onto the rock a bit harder than she had intended. She let out a soft hiss of pain as she slowly stood up.

When the dust cleared from her landing, she saw Thor standing over Loki, who was laying on his back on the ground. They both turned to look at her when she appeared. Thor's gaze was filled with concern, while Loki's was shock, and maybe a bit of happiness, but Astrid failed to see it.

Her heart jumped at seeing Loki alive and well, but she kept reminding herself that he was the enemy, and that he was the God of Lies. She just never thought he would lie to her. Her face hardened as she glanced at him, trying to convince herself to stay strong. His actions were the reason that they were there. He was not the same brother that she once knew.

Yet, she always held a soft spot for him in her heart, regardless of everything he had done.

Astrid brushed the dust off her outfit, turning to Thor's concerned face. "I'm fine Thor. That was a bit rougher than I was expecting," she said with a grimace. She avoided looking at Loki. He didn't say anything either.

Thor was the first one to turn back to Loki. "Where is the Tesseract?" he demanded.

Loki just chuckled, turning back to look up at Thor. "I missed you too."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" Thor hissed.

Loki slowly started to sit up. "You should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth," Loki spit back at him. Thor dropped his hammer to the ground as he stepped forward and practically dragged Loki to his feet, gripping his shoulder and Astrid could see his pause.

"I thought you were dead," Thor said more softly, a look of pain flashing across his face.

"Did you mourn?" Loki questioned plainly.

"We all did," Thor replied, glancing at Astrid, who refused to meet either of their gazes. "Our father-"

Loki put up a finger to silence him. " _Your_ father," he corrected, ripping himself out of Thor's grasp. "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" he questioned as he started to step away from Thor.

The memories of the conversation in the Weapon's Vault still haunted her to this day. Maybe if she hadn't reacted the way she did to Loki, none of this would have happened.

Thor stared after Loki in disbelief. "We were raised together. We played together. We fought together! Do you remember none of that?"

Loki was quick to turn around. "I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. Astrid and mother were the only ones who never saw me as the second-rate son," Astrid held her breath at his outburst. "I remember you tossing me into an abyss, I who was, and should be king!"

Astrid looked away, closing her eyes, forcing those horrible memories out of her mind. She never thought that Loki thought this way about himself. She never knew he felt so unloved by everyone but herself and her mother. Perhaps if she had known, she could have helped him.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?" Thor questioned, gesturing to the world around them. "No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki." Thor threatened.

Loki simply laughed. "And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them!"

"You think yourself above them?" Thor questioned.

"Well, yes." Loki responded, as if it was obvious.

"Then you have missed the truth of ruling, brother. A throne would suit you ill." Thor told him gently.

Loki bared his teeth and shoved his arm into Thor's chest, pushing him back and barreling past him.

"I've seen worlds you've never known about!" Loki declared. "I have grown, _Odinson_ , in my exile," he spat towards Thor. Astrid remained silent, though her mind was churning. "I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-"

Thor cut him off. "Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be king?"

"I am a king!" Loki shouted.

"Not here!" Thor grabbed the shoulder of Loki's armor roughly, jostling him with every word. "You give up the Tesseract! You give up their pointless dream!" Then his voice softened and he gripped Loki's neck. "You come home," he pleaded.

Loki paused for a moment, staring at Thor, as if contemplating, before he gave a small smile and shrugged. "I don't have it."

Thor shoved him back and summoned his hammer before holding it in a threatening manner towards Loki.

"You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off, I know not where," Loki stated simply.

Thor held out his hammer towards Loki. "You listen well, brother. I-"

Suddenly, something came whizzing past her, and barreled into Thor, taking him with it, as it went down into the trees and landed.

Loki simply stood in the same place. "I'm listening."

Astrid gasped and rushed to the side of the mountain and checked to make sure he was okay. She watched as a man wrapped in metal faced off with Thor, but she was not worried. Loki came to stand at her side as she watched as a battle broke out between the two.

She watched as he fought with whatever kind of creature it was, but stiffened when she saw something else land beside them. As Thor jumped towards this new opponent, Astrid watched as he held of a shield and as Thor's hammer struck its surface, a shockwave was sent through the air. Astrid threw an arm into the air to protect her face and once it was over, she noticed that the fighting had stopped. As she saw them make their way back towards them, Astrid finally spoke.

"You lied to me." She said without turning her gaze away from the three men.

She felt his gaze turn to her, and she could feel his confusion, but she replied quickly, "You told me that you would always be there for me. You lied."

Before Loki could say anything, the three returned and they all boarded the aircraft again. Astrid and Thor were introduced to Captain Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Astrid gave them polite nods before she went to stand in the back of the aircraft with Thor. Thor kept his gaze on Loki, but Astrid refused to meet his eyes. The entire ride was filled with tense silence.

They landed on an even larger aircraft and Loki was taken away, while Thor and Astrid were taken to be introduced to the others.

Astrid sat at a large table while Thor was speaking to the new members of their little "team" about Loki's plan and how to stop.

She stared at her hands that were folded in her lap, as the others argued.

"His brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him," Astrid heard the scientist by the name of Bruce Banner, reply. Astrid felt a retort growing in her throat, but Thor beat her to it.

"I care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother." Astrid smiled to herself, glad that he was standing up for Loki.

"He killed 80 people in two days." Natasha, another agent on their "team" retorted sharply.

"He's adopted." Thor added and Astrid shot him a glare.

When there was silence, Astrid spoke out loud for the first time since they arrived at the Helicarrier. "Can I go see my brother now?"

All eyes turned to her, and she finally dragged her eyes away from her lap. Her anger at him had simmered down and she simply wanted to see him again.

"So, she does speak!" Tony exclaimed.

Steve glared at him, but spoke softly when his gaze returned to her. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

Astrid held his gaze. "I have been living long enough thinking my brother was dead. Now that I find out he's alive, don't you think I have the right to see him?"

Steve glanced at the man with the eyepatch, who seemed to act as their leader, by the name of Nick Fury. "I think she has a right to see him."

Nick nodded. "Maybe she can get information out of him."

"That is not my intent. I just want to see him." Astrid replied tersely.

"Then don't let her in. We need to get information. Not visit him and braid each other's hair and gossip, " Nick said looking at Astrid as he spoke.

"Sir, let her in. It's her brother. Besides, maybe he will slip something out anyway," Natasha said and gave a small smile towards Astrid. She mouthed a quick 'Thank you'. Natasha nodded in response.

Nick Fury tossed his hands up. "Fine, let her see him. But I want everyone's eyes on that conversation, waiting for him to slip up."

Natasha gestured to Astrid to follow her, and she led the way to Loki's cage. The winding hallways of the aircraft confused Astrid. She followed close behind Natasha as she stopped at the door that held the room that Loki was contained in and opened it. The door slid open silently.

"Be careful." She said to Astrid softly.

Astrid returned the smile gratefully. "Thank you, but this is my brother. He wouldn't hurt me."

Natasha looked unconvinced, but nodded and walked away.

Astrid took a deep breath and walked in. The first thing she saw was the glad cage in the center of the room. The second thing was Loki standing with his back towards her inside that glass cage. He was unaware of her presence. She smiled to herself and walked quietly until she was a few feet away from the glass.

"Hey." She said softly, but it was enough to startle him and cause him to spin around, eyes flashing, ready for a fight.

"It's only me." She said, and watched the anger drain from his eyes. She stopped to really look at her brother. His hair was longer and he looked more tired. She noticed slight bags under his eyes and he looked paler than he usually did. He met her gaze and she also noticed that his eyes looked a bit harder, though they softened slightly as he looked at her.

"Hey." He replied softly, staring at her face for a moment, as if studying her and taking her in. "What are you doing here?"

"What, I can't come and see my dead brother?" Astrid asked with a slight smile.

Loki frowned and looked away. "You know I'm not your brother."

"Yes, you are. I don't care if you're not my blood brother, but you were raised as my brother, so that's what you are." Astrid said sternly. "But I do still hate you for what you did to me."

Loki glanced back towards her, a puzzled look on his face.

"You let me believe you were dead!" The anger started rising up inside her. "You told me you would always be there for me, and that you would never leave me, and you lied to me!" Her vision was blurring with tears and one slipped down her cheek before she turned away from him, trying to compose herself.

"I had to do it…" he said softly and Astrid looked at him again. "I couldn't bear to see fath- Odin look at me that way, after what I had done. I couldn't bear to see you look the way you are now. Or the way you looked at me in the Weapon's Vault…" he whispered softly, "I would have rather died…" Loki looked away.

"And leave me?" Astrid demanded. "I needed you Loki."

"No, you didn't. Thor would have kept you safe."

"But he wasn't you. Sure, I hate you sometimes Loki, but you're the only one who really cares." She stepped closer to the glass and he looked like her old Loki. "Do you know how many times I have woken up from my nightmare alone? Because you weren't there! I needed you and you left me!" Astrid cried before her pleading eyes met his. "Why don't you stop this? Give us the Tesseract and just come home?" She asked hopefully.

The anger filled his eyes again and he stepped back, away from her. "No! I will not see the man who lied to me my entire life. The man who made me believe I was your brother. The man who never loved me!"

"You are my brother!" Astrid tried to reassure him, but she could see that he was now blinded by his anger for Odin.

"No, you're one of _them_." he spat at her. "You would never want a Frost Giant as a brother. I saw you in the vault that day. You were scared of me. You don't want me. You're only saying that to get me to break." His voice was filled with contempt. "Well you know what Astrid?" He pounded his fist on the glass once, causing her to flinch back. "I won't break. Not again. I am not weak. You won't get anything out of me. You think I don't know they're watching every word we say?" His eyes were icy and hard, so unlike the eyes she used to know. "Get out, Astrid. I have nothing to say to you."

Astrid flinched away from his gaze and she saw him smile at her reaction. Tears filled her eyes and she yelled at him. "Fine! If you think I don't need you then do whatever you want! I don't care anymore!" Rage filled her and she spit out at him. "You're right. You're not my brother. Because the Loki I knew would never hurt me like this. He would never leave me. He would never lie to me," she spit out. "You're not my Loki. My Loki is dead. He died that day on the Bifrost." Astrid didn't bother to see his reaction, before storming out of the room, tears streaming down her face, leaving Loki alone in his glass prison.

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 **Ouch. Sorry for this.**


	7. The Battle of New York

After her fight with Loki, Astrid returned to the main deck and stood in front of the large glass windows, overlooking the clear, blue sky. White puffy clouds were scattered across the peaceful sky. But the peacefulness of the view before her did not calm her inner turmoil.

She regretted what she said as soon as she left the room and she wished that she could take back what she said, but she knew that was impossible. If he didn't hate her before, he certainly did now.

Thor had come to see how she was after her talk with Loki, but she waved him away, telling him that she was fine.

"I watched the footage, Astrid," he told her quietly.

Astrid closed her eyes and looked away. "I'm fine," she reiterated firmly.

She saw in Thor's eyes that he didn't believe her, but he nodded and placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder before he walked away.

The background chatter of the people at their desks, tapping away on their keyboards and relaying information that Astrid did not understand, irritated her slightly. All those people moved on as if nothing had happened. She felt a few of their eyes on her, but she ignored them.

She did not know how long she stayed before that window, before she heard an explosion and felt the ship shift sharply to one side, sending her reeling to catch her balance.

She whipped around as she saw some workers scattering away while others starting tapping furiously on their screens and keyboards.

She summoned a dagger into her hand quickly, calmed by its reassuring weight in her palm. Her mind cleared as she surveyed the room around her, checking that everyone was alright, before heading towards the door. She had to find Thor and the others.

Fury came running in the room, demanding status of the carrier. Astrid turned towards him. "What happened?" she demanded.

"We lost power in one of the engines. Stark and the Captain are dealing with it," he reassured her, while looking at multiple screens at once.

Astrid nodded in response. "I'm going to find Thor," she stated before turning towards the exit when she noticed a small cylindrical object was thrown into the room.

"Grenade!" a woman shouted. Astrid had a feeling she knew what it would do. And there was a scrawny man standing right next to it.

She acted before she knew it. Astrid lunged towards the man, knocking into him as the object blew up. The force of the blast pushed Astrid forward, knocking the man onto the ground and she ended up in a crouch over the man, shielding him from the heat and force of the blast.

After the ringing stopped in her ears, Astrid looked over her shoulder to make sure it was safe, before looking down at the man again. "Are you okay?"

His frightened gaze locked with hers and he nodded slowly, eyes wide with fear.

"Good," Astrid said, rolling her shoulders to release the small amount of discomfort she felt from the weapon blowing up right behind her.

She stood up to see that many people were still on the ground when she heard the firing of more weapons. She looked up to see men flood into the room and heard some of the workers behind her begin to return fire.

She summoned another dagger and twirled them once in her hands before running forward, dodging bullets along the way, to cut her way through the men. She heard a few shouts of surprise before weapons were pointed her way. Astrid lunged forward into a front flip to land next to a surprised enemy. Before he could aim towards her, she had already sliced the back of his calf, sending him to the ground. A quick stab with her dagger finished the job.

She turned quickly, seeing the end of a weapon coming towards her face. She twisted away, making her daggers disappear, before grabbing the weapon in her hand and twisting it out of the man's grasp. She threw it to the ground and twisted his arm behind his back, hearing a snap and the man cry out. She kicked the back of his knee, forcing him to the ground before a quick blow to the back of this head put him out.

As she let him slump to the ground, she looked over to see how the mortals were doing. Most were shooting back at the men that were slowly coming from down the hallway. She quickly headed that way, coming face to face with more men. With a few quick jabs and slices from her daggers, the remaining men in the hallway were also down.

Astrid walked back onto the ship's deck to see some of the people looking awestruck. She glanced at them in a confused way, before turning to Fury and his second in command, Maria, who had some blood dripping down from her temple. When she opened her mouth to speak, an explosion across the room made her flinch and shy away. A few moments later, another explosion towards the middle went off.

With a quick glance upwards, she saw a man with a bow firing explosive arrows towards the people. He fired a third arrow that landed on one of the devices that they called "computers", and a moment later, most of the screens around her went dark. Fury started shooting back towards him and he ducked out of the way, leaving now that he had accomplished what he wanted.

A red alert came up on one of the screens. _Malfunction: Engine 1 Power Loss_.

Astrid watched as the remaining screens faded to black, before she felt the ship tip drastically to one side as two engines failed. She grabbed onto a railing beside her to keep herself up as people started sliding towards one side of the ship.

Only a few moments later, the ship started to right itself, allowing Astrid to let go of the metal rail.

"Stark must have gotten the other engine working," Fury stated, pushing on a variety of buttons on his screen.

Now that the carrier was stable, Astrid headed towards the door once more before she heard a loud roar echo throughout the entire carrier, making her freeze in her tracks. Her dagger materialized in her hand once more, her entire body tensing at the amount of pure rage that she heard in the roar.

"Banner…" Fury whispered, his eyes wide. He turned to Astrid. "This was his plan."

"What?" Astrid questioned.

"His plan was to release the Hulk. This is him," he explained to her quickly. "You must get to him. This is his plan to escape."

Astrid's eyes widened in realization and nodded before quickly exiting the room and entering the darker hallway. She could hear more footsteps farther down the hall and decided that she wanted a larger weapon. The dagger disappeared from her hand and she summoned a sword in its place. She was not as used to its heavier weight compared to her daggers, but she needed to get to Loki as quickly as possible.

She swung her sword in a quick arc, familiarizing herself with the weapon again while also getting it into place to strike before a thought hit her. These people were mind controlled.

 _They aren't doing this out of their own free will. They are being controlled. I can't kill them._

Astrid let out a soft sigh and sent her sword away. She glanced around her and in the debris that was scattered around her from the fight, found a thick pipe that was about as long as her sword. She bent down and picked it up, noticing it weighed about the same, before continuing stealthily down the hall.

As she got closer to a corner, she heard more footsteps and quiet mumblings. She paused around the corner and listened to them come closer to her. With her make-shift weapon held poised to strike, she waited.

As soon as the first man came around the corner, she struck and with a loud thump to the side of his head, he went down.

A few shouts of surprise sounded from behind him as he crumpled down to the floor and Astrid came around the corner, the pipe swinging in her hand. The man that was directly behind the first raised his gun, but Astrid swiftly knocked it away with her arm, sending it to the ground, while kicking the man hard in the chest, knocking him back into the person behind him. They both tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

As they went down, another came up and with a quick swing, he too went down. That is when the last two started shooting.

Astrid quickly raised up her arm to shield her face as a few bullets bounced off her armor. With a yell, she twisted her body around, sending her foot into the side of one of the men, using the momentum of her entire body to knock him off his balance. And that is exactly what happened. His small, frail Midgardian body did not hold up against her strength and it sent him flying into the wall.

She then jabbed the end of the pipe into the last man's stomach, effectively knocking the breath out of him, before she grabbed the front of his pathetic attempt at armor, and threw him into the other wall, watching him slump down onto the floor after leaving a large crack in the thick wall of the aircraft. She surveyed the unconscious bodies around her before continuing down the hallway, dropping the pipe along the way.

Astrid continued towards Loki's cell, taking out a few more stray soldiers in her path with her hands, not needing a weapon and not wanting to kill any of them.

After some time, she finally found the hallway that led to Loki. She didn't seem to recall it taking her that long the first time. She must have gotten turned around in the maze of this carrier. Midgardian technology was so confusing.

As she made it to the closed door, she glanced down at the pad thing next to it. Natasha had placed her hand on it to get the door to open before, but Astrid did not have time for that. She slammed her fist into the pad, shattering the screen and sending smoke billowing from the device. An alarm sounded around her but she paid no attention to it as she pried the door open and slipped inside.

She was greeted with an empty space, causing her to stop in her tracks. The cage was gone. How could it be gone?

A choked noise caught her attention and she spun towards one of the walls to see Coulson slumped against it, a large red spot blooming on his white shirt. Astrid gasped and rushed towards him, kneeling at his side.

"What happened? Where is Loki?" she questioned hastily as she examined his wound. It was deep and still bleeding.

"I blasted him through the wall with this thing," he gestured down to the large gun that was laying across his lap. Astrid looked at the gun and over towards the other wall, where there was a large hole. "But he got away," he finished sadly.

Astrid's gut twisted, but she turned back to Coulson, trying to focus some of her magic onto him, though healing magic was not something that she had focused much time on.

"And Thor…" he broke off. Astrid's eyes shot back up to his.

"What about Thor?"

"He's… He's gone," he finished sadly.

Astrid's entire body froze. "What do you mean?"

Coulson's tired but kind eyes met hers. "Loki tricked him into the cage. That cage was meant in case we ever needed a place to put Banner. One scratch on that glass would send him down to the earth below. It was a last resort, but we had it if we needed it." His eyes turned sad. "Loki dropped the cage while Thor was in it. That glass is practically unbreakable. I'm so sorry," he finished softly.

Astrid's heart clenched painfully, her eyes stinging with the threat of tears.

"I tried to stop him," Coulson said quietly, his gaze falling away from hers.

She cleared her throat, forcing the large lump away before talking quietly, "It's okay. You did your best," she soothed. She could see the light slowly leaving his eyes and his skin becoming more and more pale. Her efforts were not working. She desperately called for more magic, a soft purple glow coming out of her fingers and wrapping themselves around Coulson and his wound, but she knew it was too late and she was not skilled enough to save him. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, the sadness overwhelming. That she could not save Coulson. That Thor was dead. That Loki killed him.

Another pair of footsteps quickly entered the room and Astrid looked up to see Fury standing there. When he saw Coulson, he quickly rushed to Astrid's side and crouched down beside her.

Coulson looked up at him. "I'm sorry boss. The god rabbited."

"Just stay awake," Fury demanded, reaching up to twist his head to face his. "Eyes on me."

Coulson gave a small smile. "No, I'm clocking out here."

Fury shook his head, "Not an option."

Coulson looked up into Fury's eye and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, boss." He paused, taking a breath before continuing, "This was never gonna work, if they didn't have something to…" He broke off, his words cracking as he tried to continue. "To…"

Astrid watched as Coulson's gaze broke away from Fury's and his body relaxed into the wall behind him, his eyes staring blankly at a spot between the two of them.

Fury's head dropped and Astrid saw his jaw clench. The tears threatened to overwhelm her once again as her hands stopped moving, the purple hue fading away. Fury sat there for another moment before he stood up and moved away, but Astrid couldn't bring herself to. Not yet.

With a deep breath, she placed her hand over Coulson's cold one and let his final thoughts flood her mind. A woman playing some sort of large instrument. Friends and family that he would never see again. Loki stabbing him in the back with his scepter while Thor cried out in the background. But the most frequent images she saw were ones of Fury and Coulson together. In some of them, they looked younger. Fury still had both eyes. Others were them more recently. But they seemed to always be smiling or laughing.

As the images slowly faded away, Astrid let go of his hand and she felt the tears sliding down her face. She closed her eyes for a moment before standing and heading out of the room, not being able to be there for a moment longer.

She wandered aimlessly around the carrier, not caring where the endless maze took her as she let her feelings out. The tears continued to steam down her face, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She had lost both of her brothers today. What would she do when she returned home? How could she go home and look into the eyes of her parents and explain what had happened?

As she passed a doorway, she heard the voices of Steve and Tony.

"Haven't you ever lost a soldier before?" Steve asked Tony.

Tony spun around to face him. "We are not soldiers." He spit, before pushing past the Captain and leaving the room, not even sparing her a glance as he passed her.

She heard Steve sigh softly before turning around, startling slightly at her presence, before quickly calming down.

"I'm sorry about Thor," he said softly, his kind and sympathetic eyes meeting hers. Astrid bowed her head in acknowledgment, trying to keep the tears at bay.

He nodded slowly and started to walk out of the room as well, but Astrid grabbed his forearm, stopping him in his tracks. His icy blue eyes met hers.

"Thank you." Astrid whispered softly. He gave her a small smile and she let go of his arm and he left the room.

"We found him," Steve came rushing into the room, causing Astrid to whip her head up towards him. "We found Loki." Astrid's eyes flared and she nodded, standing up and following him to the small aircraft where Natasha and another man were waiting.

Upon seeing the other man, Astrid summoned a dagger and was ready to attack before Steve pulled her back.

"What are you doing? He was in the carrier when we were being attacked. He was attacking us!" her confused eyes meeting Steve's. She noticed that the man looked away from her as if ashamed.

"Clint was being controlled. You know this. Natasha woke him up," Steve explained.

Astrid turned to Natasha. "How did you do it?"

She smirked and glanced at Clint. "I hit him really hard on the head."

Astrid looked at the man, Clint, and studied him for a few moments. He certainly did not seem like the man Astrid had seen earlier. With a flick of her wrist, the dagger was gone and she approached Clint. His eyes turned fearful as she came towards him and thrust her hand out towards him. "I'm Astrid."

Clint looked at her in shock before glancing towards Steve and Natasha.

Astrid became a bit self-conscious. She turned her head towards Steve. "Am I doing it wrong? Is this not how Midgardians greet each other?"

"No! No, that's right," Clint blurted out, causing her eyes to meet his again. "I just wasn't expecting you to forgive me that quickly," he admitted sheepishly.

Astrid smiled. "You were not in your right mind. I do not hold it against you."

Clint finally smiled at her before taking her hand and giving it a firm shake. "I'm Clint. It's nice to meet you."

They all boarded the aircraft, shooing a poor boy out of it, and took off.

Astrid sat by Steve in the aircraft. Barton and Natasha were flying it towards someplace that kept referring to as Stark Tower. They said that this is where Loki would be.

Steve handed her a small device. "Put this in your ear. This will allow us to keep in contact with you."

Astrid glanced down at the foreign object, but nodded and slipping it into her right ear.

As they were getting closer to the city, they heard a loud whooshing sound. Astrid stood up and looked up at the sky. She watched in horror as the sky ripped open and dozens of aliens started pouring through. Astrid's entire body froze as she watched them rain down onto the city below.

As they got into the city, Clint started firing the aircraft's weapons towards the aliens as they flew around the city. They continued firing as they approached the large tower and Astrid saw two figures fighting on the rooftop. A flash of a red cape made Astrid smile.

Clint turned the craft towards the building and began firing towards the figure adorned in green and gold. She saw Loki throw Thor onto the ground before turning and aiming his scepter at the aircraft. A blue blast shot out of the end of the scepter and crashed into one of the wings of the vehicle.

Astrid grabbed onto the ceiling above her as the craft began to lose control and spiral back towards the ground and Clint fought to steady it.

With a crash, the aircraft landed on one of the streets. The back door opened and they all piled out, looking up at the horror in the sky.

Astrid watched countless aliens zipping around the sky, destroying anything that they could, killing anyone in the process.

Natasha pulled out her guns and started firing at any enemy that came close to them and Clint did the same, though he pulled out a bow. Astrid decided that she liked this man.

She turned to Steve. "Can you handle this without me? I'm going to find Loki."

He turned to look at her and she saw the concern in his eyes, but he must have seen the determination in hers because he finally nodded. "Go. We'll be fine." He gave her a reassuring smile and Astrid took off.

As she raced down the street, she summoned her sword again, cutting down any alien that came in her path. As she fought them, she kept her eyes peeled for Loki. She finally spotted his signature green cape billowing from the top of a building a bit farther down the street.

"I found him, but I can't get to him. Can someone get me up there?" Astrid shouted into the earpiece as she took off towards the building.

"I'll get you up there, Princess," Tony responded almost immediately.

At the sound of blasters nearby, Astrid glanced over her shoulder to see Tony coming towards her. He grabbed the back of her cape up by her neck and hoisted her up into the air, carrying her up towards Loki.

"Give him hell, princess," Tony said to her before dropping her down towards the roof.

This time, she braced herself and fell into a flip as she landed, dispersing the force equally among her body, though the wind was still slightly knocked out of her.

"Well, look who it is." A laugh sounded from behind her, causing her to spin around at the familiar mocking tone. Loki stood in all his glory, golden horns curled proudly against his head, green cape flapping in the wind.

"If it isn't Astrid." He spit out, his eyes full of anger and distaste, something she never saw aimed towards her.

"Stop this Loki, please," Astrid said calmly. She wanted to summon a weapon but she refrained, afraid it would set him off.

"Why should I listen to you?" he demanded.

Astrid paused for a moment. "Because you're my brother," she finally replied softly.

Something flickered in Loki's eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "If I remember right, you disowned me too. Just like everyone else."

"I was angry Loki. I was angry at you, angry at father, and angry at Thor. You know I didn't mean what I said," she took a small step forward, her arms out as if to calm him. "I could never mean that," she finished in a small voice.

Something similar to regret flashed in Loki's eyes, though she didn't have time to question it because a loud roar caught her attention.

Her eyes whipped into the sky, where a large serpent-like creature came through the portal. She gasped softly, her eyes glued to the monster, watching how it floated through the sky, dropping more aliens along the way.

She wasn't paying any attention to Loki when she should have been. She should have never turned her back on him.

She suddenly felt a searing pain in her stomach and she gasped. She glanced down at her stomach and saw the tip of Loki's scepter protruding from her stomach.

Loki's cruel laugh sounded right behind her ear and she turned to look over her shoulder at him, the betrayal stinging. His eyes met hers, but they were cold and hard and also bluer than she remembered.

Then, he yanked the scepter out of her, the tip red with her blood, and Astrid fell to the ground, gasping in pain, a red spot spreading across her stomach. Loki stood over her, blood dripping from her scepter as he smiled down at her.

Astrid rolled onto her back, clutching her stomach, hoping to stop the flow of blood, but it still drained through her fingers. Her nerves were firing too fast for her to try and use magic, but she knew that even if she could, she wasn't experienced enough to accomplish anything.

The pain was excruciating and tears slipped down her cheeks as Loki was grinning down at her. Her pain-filled eyes finally met his and she gasped out. "Kill me."

Loki's surprised was evident on his face. "What?"

"Kill me." Astrid repeated, refusing to tear her gaze away from his. "Kill me, if that's what you really want. I don't want to live without you as my brother, but you're not the brother you once were. I don't want to see you in jail for the rest of your life, so kill me. End my suffering already," Astrid finished with a gasp of pain and threw her head back as the pain got worse. Black started to creep around the edges of her vision.

She couldn't see Loki's reaction. She desperately tried to see his face and caught a glimpse of his icy blue eyes as they seemed to flicker for a moment, before turning back to their normal shade of blue-green.


	8. Home Sweet Home

When Astrid finally regained consciousness, she attempted to open her eyes. The blinding light made her wince and squeeze them shut for a few moments before trying again. As she slowly started to adjust to the light around her, she was able to glance around and realize that she was inside Stark Tower laying on a table. As her senses came back to her, she attempted to sit up, but winced in pain and reached down to clutch her stomach, which she noticed was wrapped up in a bandage.

"Woah woah, easy! Don't move yet. You're still hurt," a calm voice said as the owner of the voice rushed to her side to help her get into a better sitting position. Astrid looked up to meet icy blue eyes.

Steve.

"Be careful. That was a nasty wound you got there." Anger flashed in his eyes and his jaw clenched, but then he smiled at her reassuringly, and the anger was gone.

He helped her slowly sit up, being careful of the bandage that was wrapped around her stomach. She tried to swing her legs over the side to stand up, but Steve gently pushed her back down. "You're not ready to move yet."

"But the aliens! We have to stop them!" She cried, trying to stand up again, but Steve just held onto her forearms, holding her in place on the table.

"They're gone Astrid. We stopped them." He said with a small smile.

Relief crashed through Astrid and she let out a loud sigh of relief, eyes closing for a moment, and letting her body relax for the first time in a few days. When she looked back up at Steve, she noticed his own wounds. There were cuts and scratches littered across his face.

She touched his cheek gently, running her thumb over a small cut there. He froze and only looked at her. "You're hurt." She whispered softly.

"Not as bad as you were." He said with a gentle smile. "I'm fine."

Astrid glanced down to her torso and examined the bandage that was wrapped around her body. She gingerly touched the area where her wound was and flinched slightly, letting out a soft hiss. The memories of how she received this wound shot before her eyes and she shut her eyes, trying to shake the memories away. She turned to look at Steve again. "How long was I out?"

"About 20 minutes. Natasha found you unconscious on the floor after we stopped them. She called the rest of us here and Stark had some bandages in the tower. Banner had a look at you and he said you were lucky. The weapon somehow missed all vital organs. You'll be okay."

Astrid nodded slowly, processing this new information. "What about Loki?" Astrid asked softly, glancing up at Steve.

The anger returned in Steve's eyes, but replied. "We got him."

Astrid nodded again, but did not say anything. She didn't know what to think about that information. Steve helped her up and off the table slowly, as the others came in the room.

When Thor came in and saw her standing, he ran to her and wrapped her in his large arms, pulling her into the air as he hugged her tightly. She grunted softly as he jostled the wound, but smiled at his affection. "Careful, brother. I'm still injured."

Horror flooded his gaze as he realized what he had done. "Sorry Astrid." He set her back down gingerly, and loosened his grip around her, but he still had her wrapped in his arms. "I thought I lost you," he mumbled quietly into her hair. She heard his voice crack and she felt her heart crack at the thought of scaring him.

"Nah, you can't get rid of me that easily." She said with a smile as she pulled away to look him in the eyes. His eyes revealed how scared he had been, but he gave a short laugh at her remark. He gave her a short kiss on the top of her head before pulling away to allow the others to see her.

Natasha stepped forward and pulled her into her lithe arms. "I'm glad you're alright," she murmured.

"Yeah, me too." Astrid said with a small smile.

Stark came in the room, his armor gone and in a regular shirt and jeans, and patted her on the shoulder. "Glad Loki didn't kill you, princess. Otherwise, we would have to kill him. Not that I would mind."

Astrid flinched at the mention of her brother dying again. "Where is he?" She asked softly, turning to look at Stark. Right on cue, Banner and Clint came in, a handcuffed Loki between them. A sort of muzzle contraction was wrapped around his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

The room went silent as Astrid looked at her brother, but he refused to meet her gaze, instead focusing his gaze onto the floor. Astrid stared at him for a few moments, willing him to meet her gaze, but he refused.

Thor finally broke the tense silence. "It's time we get you back," Thor announced. "Both of you," he finished with a glance towards his brother.

They arrived at a large open park, where Dr. Selvig met them with the Tesseract. Astrid limped out towards the center of the park, Steve lending his arm for support.

Astrid gave Natasha a hug, grateful for having someone that resembled a friend. She then turned to Steve and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down towards her and hugging him as well. She was grateful for all that he had done for her and knew she was going to miss him.

"You'll come back and visit right?" He asked with a sad smile as he pulled away.

"Of course, I will. I'll miss you."

Steve smiled. "I'll miss you too." Before Steve could step away from her, Astrid stood up and kissed his cheek. He froze, but smiled back at her after a moment, his cheeks tinting pink.

Astrid gave him a final smile before she turned and limped back to Thor and Loki, who were waiting for her. She clutched her stomach, grimacing as the pain started to flare up again. Thor noticed this and said, "Let's get back. We need to get you to the Healing Ward." Astrid nodded slowly and glanced at Loki, but he didn't even look in her direction.

She grabbed the Tesseract next to Thor, and he pushed it out towards Loki. Loki looked down at it, then back at Thor, before thrusting his hand out to grab the other end.

Thor gave a curt nod to the Avengers and Astrid gave them all a smile, before Thor twisted the handle. The Tesseract began to glow a bright blue and Astrid saw Steve and Natasha waving goodbye to her, before the Tesseract brought them back home.

As they reappeared at the gates of Asgard, Astrid stumbled for a moment. Thor grabbed her arm to steady her and she gave him a nod in thanks before turning back to the city. She smiled when she saw home. The golden spires of the palace greeted her and she let out a soft sigh at finally being home. Loki looked towards the city as well, but Astrid couldn't read his expression. Was he glad to be home? Did he not want to be here? Knowing him now, it was probably a mixture of both.

As they started walking through the open gates, guards rushed out to greet them.

"Odin would like to see you." A guard told them after he bowed to the royals. Thor nodded and he helped Astrid towards the Throne Room. The guards offered to take Loki from Thor, but he refused, opting to lead him himself.

When they arrived outside the doors of the Throne Room, two guards pushed the large golden doors open for them and Thor pushed Loki inside ahead of them. Astrid trailed a few steps behind them, still clutching her stomach. With a glance down, she noticed that blood had begun seeping through the bandage. She grunted softly at the sight, but pushed forward behind Thor.

As the three entered the room, Odin stood and Frigga ran towards her children, with tears in her eyes. She reached Thor first and she pulled him down into a hug, which he returned. She pulled away and held his cheek in her palm for a moment, checking him over, before she turned and looked at Loki. He looked back her with a blank expression, no emotion in his eyes. A guard stepped forward and took of the muzzle, allowing him to speak if he wished.

Frigga stood before him for a moment before she suddenly threw her arms around him and hugged him as well, letting out soft cries. Loki stiffened, but didn't move.

"My son. You came home." She whispered softly, petting the back of his hair in a soothing manner as she cried into his shoulder.

Astrid noticed Loki close his eyes for a moment and brush his face against her hair, returning the gesture if only for a moment before he closed up again, pulling away from her grasp.

Frigga finally turned to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her as well. Astrid folded into her mother, allowing herself to collapse against her, letting a few tears slip down her cheek at the feeling of her mother holding her. She felt safe again, wrapped in the arms of her mother. Astrid clung onto Frigga's dress, ignoring the pain she felt. Frigga hugged her tight, and she let out a soft groan as the pain finally seeped into her mind again.

Frigga immediately let go of her and stepped back, examining her daughter for an injury, when her eyes finally fell onto her wrapped stomach.

"Oh Astrid! What happened?" She cried, her hand flying to her mouth, as she examined the wound.

Astrid stayed silent and looked away. She didn't want to say the truth. Loki and Thor stayed silent as well.

Frigga pulled her chin towards her, forcing her to meet her worried gaze. "Astrid, what happened?"

Astrid glanced at Thor for help, and he stepped forward. "Loki summoned an army of aliens to Midgard. Astrid was injured in the battle." He said, meeting her eyes and Astrid gave a single nod.

Frigga let out a soft cry as she took Astrid's face into her hands. "My sweet child. I was always so worried you would get hurt when you asked us to become a warrior. I never wanted you to get hurt," she whispered softly as more tears streamed down her face.

"I did it." A hoarse voice said.

All eyes turned to Loki.

Frigga gasped as she turned to look at her youngest son. "What?"

Loki met her gaze, his eyes hard. "I stabbed Astrid."

Frigga covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a single sob, as Odin stepped forward and addressed the guards. "Take Loki to the Prison Chamber."

"What?" Frigga turned on her husband as Astrid gaped at him.

"Look what he did to Astrid! He can't be trusted!" Odin shouted. Frigga was silent, but tears seeped from her eyes as she watched the guards take Loki away.

"No, father wait!" Astrid cried out. She stepped forward towards the direction that Loki had gone, but the pain overwhelmed her and she stumbled down to one knee. Frigga was by her side in an instant.

"Mother, it's not what you think. Loki didn't-he didn't-," she was unable to finish her sentence as tears threatened her vision and the pain that was coursing through her body made her weak and her vision spotty.

"Hush, my child. You'll be okay," Frigga soothed as Odin turned to more soldiers. "Take her to the Healing Chambers immediately."

Two guards came over to her and Frigga moved out of the way as they stood on either side of her and wrapped their arms around her, bringing her to her feet.

"Thor, you will stay and tell me what happened on Midgard," Odin's vice echoed through the room as Astrid was led out. Frigga followed the guards to the healing rooms and as soon as the guards helped her down onto one of the beds, she passed out from the strain and blood loss. The last thing she saw was her mother staring worriedly down at her as some of the healers started bustling around her.


	9. Forbidden

Blinking her eyes open slowly, Astrid winced at the bright light.

Astrid sat up slowly, glancing down at the thick bandage around her torso that the healers had replaced. She groaned softly when she sat up, but at least she wasn't dead. That had to count for something.

She placed a hand on the bandage and sat up more so that her back could rest against the headboard of the bed.

She had just laid her head back and closed her eyes for a moment, when the doors burst open and Frigga rushed into the room.

"Oh Astrid! I'm so glad you're okay! They wouldn't let me see you while they were working on you!" Frigga rushed to her side and held her face in her hands as she brushed the hair out of her face.

"Mother, I'm fine!" Astrid reassured her softly, leaning into the embrace of her mother.

"You could have died!" her mother cried, and her eyes told Astrid that she was hiding something.

"What is it mother? What's wrong?" Astrid asked hesitantly.

Frigga looked away. "You came so close to death. The blade just narrowly missed some of your vital organs. You are lucky to be alive. If you had moved even an inch, you could've had major internal bleeding that even Odin would have a hard time fixing. He might not have been able to save you if that had happened."

Astrid gasped softly and looked down at her torso. She stayed silent. She could have died.

"And to think that Loki did this?!" Frigga whispered softly, looking away from her.

"Mother don't!" Astrid pleaded.

"You're still defending him after what he did?" Frigga asked, looking at her with shock in her eyes.

"Yes." Astrid answered without hesitation. "He's my brother. And there was something off about him, mother. I don't know what it was but something wasn't right. Mother please-"Astrid was cut off as the door opened, revealing Odin.

"My daughter. I'm so glad you're safe." He said with a small smile as he sat down beside Frigga.

"Yes father, I'm fine." She said with a smile.

"If it weren't for Loki, this would not have happened!" Odin exclaimed.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Astrid shouted. "This is not his fault! Please stop blaming him!" Her eyes started to fill with tears and her vision was started to get cloudy. "Why won't you believe me? Something is wrong with him!"

"No. He hurt you. He could have killed you." Odin exclaimed. "You are forbidden to visit him in the Prison Chambers. He will spend the rest of his days in the dungeons, and you will not go visit him, ever. You stay away from him."

Astrid's tears immediately disappeared as she was filled with red, hot rage. "How DARE you?! He's your son! No matter if he's blood or not! How can you do this to your own son?!" She practically screamed.

Odin stared at her in shock, before finally recovering. Astrid had never raised her voice at her father before. "He is NOT my son!" his voice boomed throughout the room. "He is a monster, who almost killed you! You are forbidden to see him! End of conversation!" He stood up and turned and left, his cape flowing behind him as the doors slammed behind him.

Frigga stared at her silently. "Do not question your father. If we find you have visited him, you will be punished." She too stood and touched Astrid's cheek gently. "It's for your own good," she murmured, before she too left the room, leaving Astrid crying her own angry tears.

After a few weeks of staying in the Healing Chambers, she was finally released, as long as she stayed away from fighting and strenuous activity for a little while longer. Even though Asgardians healed faster than humans did, she was still seriously hurt and would need to take it easy for a few days more. As soon as she was released, the first thing she did was head towards the Prison Chambers. She had to go see him. She snuck around corners and hallways, hoping she wouldn't bump into any guards or worse, her parents.

When she reached the chambers, there were two guards standing guard at the entrance. There always had been. She hoped they would let her in, and that her parents hadn't told them anything. Slim chance.

When she reached the guards, she saw them straighten and give her a slight bow as she approached. She bowed in return. "Hello! May I please pass?" She asked, praying that they would.

They looked like they wanted to, but one shook his head. "Sorry madam, but we have specific orders to not let you in here. And orders that if you try, to report to Odin." Her shoulders slumped. So much for that.

"Please? Why can't I go see my brother? Why will no one let me go see my brother?" She added some tears for effect. They glanced at each other, silently wondering what to do.

"I just want to see me brother…." Astrid sobbed silently.

"Fine. But only for a few moments. Do not speak of this to your parents." The guard said before stepping out of her way. Most guards always did have a soft spot for her, which she may or may not have used to her advantage at times.

The tears were gone as quickly as they came. "Thank you!" she said before practically running inside. She had to be fast.

She was quickly walking down the hallways of cells on both sides, glancing into the cells. As she walked, fists pounded on the glass. "Come on pretty little princess. Come and play with us," one taunted. She ignored him and moved on, scanning each and every cell for her brother.

She was almost to the end of the row of cells when a loud, booming voice made her freeze, dread running down her spine.

"STOP!"

Astrid closed her eyes in defeat. And just a few cells away. Maybe she could make a run for it.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Odin standing at entrance, glaring daggers at her. She was already in trouble, might as well do what she came for. Astrid turned and ignored him, and ran towards the last few cells, quickly looking for her brother. Odin yelled at her again, but she didn't stop. Not until she reached the last cell.

She skidded to a stop when she recognized a familiar figure standing alone in the last cell. She looked inside to see Loki staring back at her, through the thick glass. His eyes were shocked, and if not a bit hopeful. She also might have possibly seen a bit of happiness.

They were both too shocked to say anything, and still had said nothing by the time Odin made his way to them. They both just stared at each other silently. She saw his eyes flick down to her torso momentarily, but he brought his eyes up to Odin as he finally approached.

"Astrid! How dare you disobey my direct orders to you!" Odin yelled as he finally reached her side, grabbing her arm tightly.

Loki's eyes narrowed at him, before glaring back at Astrid. She could see hatred burning clearly through them, before he and turned away and lay down on the bed on the opposite side of the cell with his back towards them. Astrid felt tears prick in her eyes, as Odin tugged on her arm and led her away from the cell. She didn't even resist, the pain in her heart causing her to allow her father to pull her away from Loki. When they made it outside Frigga was standing there waiting for them. Odin finally let go of her arm and stood next to Frigga, both of their eyes showing hurt and anger. Astrid stared at the ground, refusing to look at them as a stray tear fell down her cheek.

"How dare you disobey us! We told you never to visit him and what is the first thing you do? Go and visit him!" Odin shouted.

After the first tear fell, there was no stopping the others. More tears fell and she choked out, "I just wanted to see him. I wanted to see my brother. The one before everything. The one who cared about me and kept me safe. I just wanted my brother back…."she whimpered. She knew this sounded childish, but it was what she truly wanted and it was what she thought she was going to get if she went to see him again. It hurt to see the look in his eyes when he looked at her. Resentment. Pure Hatred. It felt worse than having the scepter driven through her stomach. Nothing in her life had ever felt worse.

She looked up at her parents, eyes red and puffy, cheeks already tear-stained, and saw her mother's gaze soften. Her father's gaze had not. "That Loki is gone," he stated in a cold voice.

Astrid started sobbing at her father's words. Her mother rushed forward and enveloped her into her arms, allowing her to cry, while Odin stalked away.

Frigga held her until there was nothing left to cry. It was not her brother anymore. She would never get that brother back. That Loki died. They tried to protect her because this wasn't her Loki anymore. That Loki was gone forever. Before, she never would have believed him, but now, she was starting to believe that her father was right.


	10. The Attack on Asgard

**Frigga's POV, years ago**

"Your grandfather, Borr, was a very honorable man." Frigga told her children as she tucked them in for bed. "He was a great warrior and an even better King." She said with a smile. "That is how your father became such a great King." She said while looking down at her children with pride and an affectionate smile.

Thor, her oldest son, sat still, listening with gleaming eyes, hanging on to every word she said. Loki, her middle child, nudged Thor excitedly whispering to him, while Thor elbowed him to shut up.

Then there was Astrid, her youngest child, and only daughter. Astrid sat listening to her mother intently, her head slightly inclined to one side as her mother spoke. Her eyes gleamed, but her eyes were filled with kindness and passion. Different from her brothers, yet they held the same intensity.

"There once creatures called Dark Elves. The world was dark when they were around, giving them the name, Dark Elves." Frigga went on.

"Their leader, Malekith, held a special weapon. It was called the Aether. The Aether was a fluid of dark matter that the Dark Elves wanted to use to put all the Nine Realms into darkness." She watched as her children's eyes widened in horror.

"But your grandfather, Borr, led his army against the Dark Elves and Malekith. Their army was strong, and they overpowered the Dark Elves, but lost many people in the process. Malekith sacrificed his own people to try and destroy the Asgardians. All of his people died, including him. Your grandfather was victorious. He destroyed the Aether, and the Nine Realms were safe." She concluded, and smiled when her children cheered, happy that the story had a good ending.

"He sounds awesome!" Thor cried.

"Did he use his own magic? Did he have magic?" Loki asked, waving his hands around to try and prove his point.

Astrid elbowed Loki. "He didn't have magic! Only you have magic!"

Loki puffed out his chest. "Because I'm the best!"

"No, I'm the best! I'm going to become King one day!" Thor boasted proudly.

"No! I will become King!" Loki challenged.

"What if I become Queen?" Astrid questioned her brothers.

They both stopped and looked at her in shock for a moment before Thor broke the silence. "But you can't! We're older! And you're a girl!"

Astrid bristled, "So what? Is there something wrong with being a girl?" her eyes gleamed with anger, causing Thor to glance down and looked down at the bed.

"Well no…."

Frigga hushed them. "Quiet now children. It is time for you to go to sleep."

The squabble was forgotten as a series of awwwws sounded, and she smiled.

She tucked them each into their own beds and gave each of them a kiss on their forehead. "Good night my children. Sleep well."

As Frigga reached the door, she turned to look back at her three children, smiling as they lay all snuggled up in their beds. With love filling her heart, she turned off the light and left them to their dreams.

 **Astrid's POV, Present day**

Astrid sat in her room brushing her hair by the mirror as her mother came in.

"Hello Mother." Astrid greeted, continuing her strokes.

Frigga was silent, causing Astrid to pause and turn around and face her.

"Mother?" she questioned softly.

Frigga sighed. "Odin has banished Loki to the dungeons for the rest of his life. That was the best I could do for him."

Frigga had been the only one who fought for Loki. After the events in the dungeon, Astrid left Loki alone. She wanted nothing to do with him. Astrid sighed and turned back to the mirror without another word.

Frigga looked sadly at her daughter. "You used to fight for him too. What happened?"

Astrid's hard eyes met her mother's in the mirror. "He hurt me. That's what happened. He never loved me at all. I almost died because of him." She no longer believed that she had seen something in New York. She told herself that she had been seeing things since Loki hated her so much. The vibrant blue eyes that she thought she had seen was merely an illusion of her fading mind. Nothing more.

Astrid lay her brush down on her table and brushed past her mother without another word, leaving Frigga to watch her go with a sad expression.

Thor had returned with his prisoners that he had brought back from his conquests. The guards led them past her as they made their way to the dungeons. Astrid's eyes caught on a certain prisoner. This one was different from the others, but she couldn't put her finger on why. The creature seemed to be wearing a mask that covered its entire face, long tusks sprouting from the side. Though her gut was nagging her about this creature, she shrugged it off. It was just another prisoner.

That night, there was a celebration feast. Astrid didn't feel like celebrating. She hadn't felt like anything for the past two years, not since Loki had "died".

She stopped by to congratulate her brother and see him after he had been away for a bit, but she soon returned to her room and went to sleep early.

When she awoke the next day, she figured out that Thor had gone to Midgard, though no one would explain why.

She was talking with Sif when she saw Thor with a woman at his side. She was small and seemed fragile, even from a distance. This must be the Jane Foster that he had told her about. Astrid smiled at the memory of Thor first telling her about the woman he met on Midgard during his exile. As he spoke, Astrid could see his eyes gleaming in a way that she had never seen before. She was thrilled for her brother.

She turned to Sif to say a quick goodbye and noticed the hurt and jealousy flash before her eyes, before she returned the goodbye and stalked away. Astrid watched her friend go sadly, before turning and following the pair of love birds.

"Thor!" She called out as she approached them quickly, her simple purple gown swishing at her feet as she hurried to catch up to them.

Thor stopped and turned around at her voice. Jane followed his example and turned towards the voice. When Jane looked at Astrid, she noticed the shock come across her face as she examined the woman in front of her. Astrid silently did the same, running her eyes across the woman that her brother loved.

Thor cleared his throat, forcing Astrid to tear her eyes away from Jane to meet his. "Jane, this is my sister, Astrid. Astrid this is Jane Foster."

"Yes, I know who you are." Astrid said with a smile and Jane looked surprised. She turned to Thor and whisper-shouted, "You told your sister about me?" Before Thor had a chance to respond, Jane turned to Astrid again. "But you were with the Avengers too! I saw you in New York. You were injured! Wait! That makes you Loki's sister as well?" Jane asked quickly, with curiosity, thought Astrid could detect the small trace of fear in her voice.

"No!" Astrid snapped quickly, the words falling out of her mouth before she even really thought about them. "He is not my brother. He's adopted," she parroted the words Thor had told the Avengers. At the time, she was angry at him for saying it. Now, she just wanted to distance herself from Loki as much as possible.

Jane fell silent. Thor watched the exchange, looking at Astrid with a curious, yet sad gaze before speaking.

"I was talking Jane to the Healing Ward to get her checked out. There is something wrong with her."

Astrid nodded. "Then I will go with you. We can always use more women on Asgard. Helps balance out all the masculinity that overflows the place," she chuckled and took Jane's arm in her own, locking them together as they headed towards the Healing Ward. "Oh the stories I could tell you," Astrid whispered to Jane, causing her to giggle, while receiving a death glare from her brother. Astrid simply laughed.

She watched from beside Thor as Jane lay on the table and the women looked over her. An image of Jane popped up above them and the women looked at it, examining Jane's body. Astrid listened with amusement as Jane tried to figure out their technology.

A voice caused Astrid to jump. "My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" Their father questioned Thor as he entered the room.

"She is ill," Thor said, turning to Odin.

"She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait," Odin spoke sternly. The women in the room backed away.

"I brought her here because we can help her," Thor continued, ignoring Odin's tone of derision.

"She does not belong here in Asgard, anymore than a goat belongs at a banquet table," Odin said harshly.

"Father," Astrid spoke sternly, trying to reprimand her father for his harsh words.

Jane looked up at Odin in shock and anger. " Did he just-?" she glanced at Thor before turning to face Odin. "Who do you think you are?" she demanded.

"I am Odin! King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms." Odin replied with authority.

"Oh." Jane paused, losing her fire. "Well I'm-"

" I know very well who you are, Jane Foster." He replied evenly.

Jane glanced at Thor. "You told your dad about me?"

Thor turned towards Odin as he started to leave the room. "Something is within her, father, something I have not seen."

Odin paused as he faced his oldest son. "Her world has its healers, they're called doctors. Let them deal with it. Guards!" he turned towards the guards that were outside the room. "Take her back to Midgard."

The guards stepped forward immeaditly, heading towards Jane's side. As they reached out for her, Thor shouted, "No, I would not-!"

A bright red light emminated from Jane's body, forcing the guards away from her, causing Astrid to be pushed back into the wall.

Odin stopped suddenly, turning back towards the Midgardian woman, who collapsed back down onto the table. Thor rushed to her side, cupping her jaw in his hand. "Jane, are you alright?" As Astrid reached his side, she saw Jane give a slight nod. Odin came around the other side of the table and reached out tentatively above her arm. Astrid watched as a sort of red liquid became visible, running through Jane's veins.

Odin looked at her arm in amazement. "It's impossible," he murmured softly. The head healer stood by Odin's side. "The infection, it's defending her," she said quietly, glancing at Odin.

Thor shook his head. "No, it's defending itself."

Odin backed away from Jane before speaking, "Come with me."

Astrid followed them as Odin led them to a room full of books and pulled one off the shelf. He opened it and placed it on the table.

"There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her, appears to be one of them." Astrid glanced towards Jane in shock as she listened to her father. "Nine Realms, and not eternal. They had a dawn, as they will have a dusk. But before that dawn, the dark forces, Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged."

"Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves come away to steal the light," Thor murmured.

Astrid nodded, "We know these stories. Mother told them to us as children."

Odin looked at her and nodded. "Their leader, Malekith, made a weapon out of that darkness, and it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appear as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever-changing. It changes matter into dark matter. It seeks out host bodies, drawing strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness. But after eternities of bloodshed, my father, Borr, finally triumphed, ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years. He killed them."

"But Borr destroyed the Aether," Thor interjected.

"So you believed." Odin replied. "The Aether was very powerful and could not be destroyed. Asgard took it and buried it deep where no one would ever find it." He stopped to look at Jane. "But someone did."

"Does this book happen to tell you how to take it out of me?" Jane spoke up.

Odin frowned. "No. It does not," Odin closed the book and stepped away. "But I will see what I can find."

Astrid nodded, before turning to Jane. "Come. While father tries to figure this out, let's get you into some better clothes. I have too many anyway. I'm sure we can find one that suits you," Astrid said with a smile, trying to appease the young woman. Jane gave her a small smile and nodded.

Astrid turned towards her brother. "I will take good care of her, brother. Come find us when you are done." Thor gave her a grateful smile and nodded, before turning back towards Odin.

Astrid managed to find a dress for Astrid that fit her and Thor had come to collect Jane. With a smirk and a wink at her brother, she let the pair go.

She found her mother walking the palace and relayed the story to her. Frigga's eyebrows furrowed with concern. Astrid explained the details as they walked until they heard voices on a balcony. Frigga smiled as she recognized Thor's voice and the pair headed that way.

"My father doesn't know everything," Astrid heard Thor tell Jane.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Frigga chuckled as she stepped out to join them.

Thor smiled at his mother before turning to Jane. "Jane, meet Frigga, Queen of Asgard, and my mother."

Jane looked at Thor in shock before looking at Frigga. She quickly pulled her hand out of Thor's self-consciously, before bowing her head slightly. "Hi," she mumbled quietly.

An alarm filled the sky. They all looked towards the direction that it was coming from. "The prison," Frigga noted out loud.

"Loki," Thor said to himself. Dread filled Astrid as she looked towards the prison, hoping that Loki was not the one who had caused this.

Frigga nodded towards Thor. "Go. I will look after her," she nodded towards Jane.

Astrid looked at Thor and they came to a mutual agreement. Thor grabbed Astrid around her waist as Mjolnir came flying into Thor's hand, carrying them both towards the prison.

 **Loki's POV, a few minutes earlier.**

Loki lay sprawled out on his bed and was throwing an object up in the air and catching it. He didn't even know what it was. He was that bored.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, causing him to stop his movements. He placed the object on the table next to him and hoisted himself up and off the bed, heading towards the barrier, where shouting and banging began. He noticed guards running past his cell, and Loki leaned closer towards the barrier, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on. This was the most excitement he had since he was put down here.

As he scanned the rest of the prison, he noticed that one of the newer prisoners was walking confidently out of its cell, which had its barrier destroyed. As Loki watched, he saw it smashing its fists into the barriers of the cells around it, letting more prisoners flow out into the cramped hallway.

Then the warriors showed up. Asgard's finest warriors flooded into the prisons, fighting back the prisoners that attempted to flee. But, they were not going down easily. The prisoners fought the people with a deep rage and vengeance.

As Loki watched, the creature which had started this all stopped outside his cell, causing Loki to smirk with pure mischief. It stepped up closer to the barrier, but seemed to hesitate as it looked at him, before it let out a quiet grunt and turned away, beginning to walk away from his cell.

Loki tried to hide his disappointment. He so wanted to cause a bit of mischief. As the creature was walking away, he decided that he could still provide a bit of mischief. He was so bored after all. When the creature was almost out of earshot, he called out. "You might want to take the stairs on the left."

The creature paused and glanced back at him, as if wondering if he could believe him or not, before turning away and heeding his advice.

 **Astrid's POV**

Thor held on to Astrid as they headed toward the prison. As they both landed, Thor grabbed her arm, turning her to face him.

"Please be careful, Astrid," he pleaded softly. She knew he was worried about her ever since the incident in New York.

Astrid gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, Thor. I'll stick by your side if it makes you happy." She saw the relief flood his eyes as he nodded and let go of her arm, turning towards the entrance to the prison. Astrid unsheathed her daggers and held them ready at her sides as they both entered.

As they entered, pure chaos surrounded them immediately. Guards and warriors were fighting a majority of the prisoners that existed within the palace. Whatever happened, most of the prisoners had gotten out of their cells and were attempting to escape. Astrid prayed that Loki was not one of them.

As Thor stepped forward, some of the prisoners stopped to look at him. Thor's voice boomed loudly as he addressed the prisoners. "Return to your cells and no harm will come to you. You have my word." As soon as Thor finished speaking, one of the prisoners that was closest to him punched him in the face.

Thor turned to the prisoner and smirked. "I guess you don't have my word." Thor lifted Mjolnir and swiped it across the prisoner, sending it flying away. At that, everyone jumped into action again.

Astrid jumped into the fight, twirling her daggers around her as the prisoners tried to overpower her. At times, she pushed some back with some magic so they would not overwhelm her.

A loud crash and the ground rumbling beneath her feet caused her to pause. A quick glance towards Thor showed that he mirrored her concern. With a quick scan of the room, she noticed that the guards seemed to be handling the rest of the prisoners, so she turned and headed out into the sun of Asgard, looking on in pure horror as she saw a hole in the citadel of Asgard. Where was the shield? When Asgard was attacked, a shield would be activated that would surround the center of the city, the palace of Asgard. Where was it? But, more importantly, what had crashed into it?

Thor came up to her side, looking at the palace, with the same amount of horror that she had.

"Mother! And Jane!" Astrid gasped, grabbing onto Thor's arm.

Thor's face blanched at their names, before it turned to one of anger and determination. He wrapped his arm around her waist once more, before taking them both towards the palace.

 **Frigga's POV**

Frigga tensed as the doors opened, allowing a lone figure to step into the room. Jane stood up and quickly moved behind her. She trained her eyes on the creature that stepped into the room, holding onto the sword tightly at her side.

"Stand down, creature, and you may still survive this," Frigga demanded as she stepped closer to the creature that was approaching them.

"I have survived worse, woman," the creature spat at her.

Frigga narrowed her eyes, "Who are you?"

"I am Malekith," he said with a smile. "And I would have what is mine." His eyes drifted towards Jane. Frigga glanced back towards her to see her trying to move further away from them. As Malekith stepped towards Jane, Frigga drew the sword upwards, slicing it across Malekith's face.

Malekith hissed before drawing his own sword and lunging for her. But she was ready. She dodged blow after blow that he sent her way, managing to land a few hits onto him. She finally got the upper hand and placed the sword against Malekith's throat. Frigga thought she had him beat, but then she noticed Malekith glance to the side. Following his glance, she noticed a larger creature approaching the pair. She tried to swipe her sword towards the creature as well, but it pushed her hand aside and grabbed her throat, lifting her off the ground.

Malekith recovered as the creature subdued Frigga and headed towards Jane. Jane was backing away, while Malekith was advancing quickly. "You have taken something, child. Give it back," Malekith demanded.

Jane was cornered into a wall, staring defiantly back at the creature, though still a hint of fear in her eyes. He reached out to grab her, but his hand slipped through her and Jane faded away with a green shimmer. With a growl, he turned towards Frigga. "Witch!" he yelled. Frigga smirked in response.

Malekith stalked towards her. "Where is the Aether?" He asked as he came face to face with Frigga again, the creature wrapping its arm around her throat.

"I'll never tell you." Frigga spit out.

He smiled. "I believe you." The creature brought out a sword and plunged it up through her back. Frigga grunted in pain, before she was dropped to the ground. She heard a cry, before everything went black.

 **Astrid's POV**

Thor and Astrid had searched room after room for their mother and Jane. When they came to a pair of open doors, they both ran into the room, only to see a large creature thrust a sword into their mother.

"No!" Thor screamed. Lightning shot out of his hammer, hitting Malekith in the face. It screamed and fell back from the force. The monster that stabbed her mother went to the elf's side. Thor threw his hammer at the pair, knocking them off the balcony, before Astrid saw a ship that must have been right under the window, fly away.

Astrid raced to her mother's side while Thor raced onto the balcony in pursuit and threw the hammer again, hoping he would reach his target.

"No! No. No. No…. Please mother!" She wailed, tears blinding her vision as she saw the blood pooling around her mother. She reached out to touch her mother's face. It was still warm, with the remnants of life within it, but Frigga did not move. The tears began streaming down Astrid's face as Odin came into the room. He was at his wife's side in an instant and pulled her head into his lap. He wiped strands of her hair away from her face, a look of pure shock on his face as he cradled her face close to his. Astrid could hear him mumbling unintelligibly.

As the ship got away, Thor came back inside with a look of defeat on his face and watched his father mourn his mother, his own eyes glistening with tears as he looked down at the body of his mother. In the midst of it all, Jane walked out from behind a column, safe and sound. Frigga had died protecting her.

Astrid started sobbing as the shock and adrenaline started to wear off, leaving her body numb. "No! Please mother!"

Thor went to her side and pulled her to his chest, away from her unmoving body. Astrid wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest as the tears fell freely. She could feel Thor's own tears land on her hair, causing her to cry that much harder. Thor never cried. If he did, it was never in her presence. He was always so strong, so to have him break down with her, caused the dam to break.

Their mother was dead.


	11. The Bad News

Astrid clutched Thor, holding onto him with everything she had. If she didn't, she would fall to the ground, as he was the only thing that kept her knees from buckling. With eyes still full of tears, she glanced at her mother's body, the one that Odin was cradling in his arms. Odin looked up at Astrid and when their eyes met, she saw that his eyes were red and puffy.

"What was she thinking?" Odin asked quietly, his voice hoarse.

Astrid shook her head, a few tears dropping off her chin and onto the floor. "I don't know….", she muttered pathetically, looking away from the scene.

"Then find out!" Odin shouted suddenly, his pain turning to rage. Rage that he was directing at her.

Astrid's eyes widened and her mouth gaped in shock. Her shocked eyes met his, and she realized that she barely recognized the man in front of her. He was asking her to see what her mother was thinking when she died? She had done it to strangers, but never anyone she was close to. Never anyone she knew. She didn't think she would ever need to. Certainly not this soon.

Thor's grip tightened around her and he pulled her back gently, farther into his chest. "You really want to put her through that?" Thor asked softly, trying to placate the grieving man.

Astrid saw the rage swirling in her father's eyes. "It is what she is good for!" Odin shouted, making Astrid freeze completely. "If she does not do this, then what good is she?" Odin demanded. She felt Thor tense up behind her, his grip never faltering on her. Astrid felt a sharp pain inside her chest. In her heart. It felt as if it was shattered. More so than it already was.

Astrid pulled herself out of Thor's grip and headed towards her father, who was still cradling their mother in his arms. Thor grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. "Astrid, you do not need to do this!"

"Yes, I do. Father is right. If I can't do this, then what good am I?" she replied evenly, pulling her arm out of Thor's grasp.

She walked slowly to her mother's cold corpse and kneeled down beside her. Her unmoving body unnerved Astrid and she was afraid to touch her. She wanted to pretend that her mother was only sleeping, but the pool of blood that she had to walk around, was proof that she wasn't. She hesitantly reached out and grabbed her mother's cold hand, a shiver going down her spine at its touch. She held it between both of her hands, as if she could somehow use her own warmth to warm her mother's. She closed her eyes, and let her mother's last thoughts seep into her brain.

She saw the dark elf.

"Who are you?" her mother asked the elf.

"I am Malekith." It replied with a smile, and she felt her mother's surprise.

She saw her mother fight Malekith, and a ghost of a smile crossed her lips at her mother's bravery. She watched as she put her sword against Malekith's throat, but then the beast from the prison came and from behind. Astrid watched as she spoke her last words. She watched the sword plunge into her mother for a second time. Astrid almost dropped her hand, but didn't want to break the connection she had with her mother. The last connection she would ever have with her.

 _My Children…_ Frigga's voice seeped into her mind. _I hope they are alright…._ _Astrid let out a soft gasp as her mother's voice filled her mind. Her final thoughts._

 _Astrid…_

Astrid jumped in surprise when her mother spoke her name.

 _I know you will hear this. Please tell Odin and Thor that I love them so much. More than they will ever know._

Astrid felt a tear slip out onto her cheek, rolling down her face.

 _Please tell Loki that I am proud of him, and that he will always be my son. No matter what he says or believes. I hope he will one day think of me as his mother._

Astrid knew he already did think of her as his mother. He never stopped. Regardless of the news that he was adopted, Frigga never once saw him as anything other than her son.

 _And Astrid. My dear Astrid. I love you so much. I'm glad that even after I die, you will hear my voice one last time. I'm sorry that I could not say my goodbyes in person. I'm glad it was you who heard my final words._

Astrid let out a small sob and she felt a heavy hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder. Thor.

 _I don't have much time left. I feel my heart slowing. Please make sure no one blames themselves. It was no one's fault. And don't grieve for long. I will be watching you all. Always. I will always be with you. All of you._

Her voice became fainter.

 _I love you all… Goodbye my loves…_

Her voice faded away completely.

A louder sob bubbled out of Astrid and she dropped her mother's hand completely, severing the connection. She covered her face with her hands and her body heaved with sobs. She heard her mother die. It was the worst thing she had ever experienced. It was times like this when she believed her powers were more of a curse than a gift. Thor rubbed soothing circles into her back as she cried.

"What did she say?!" Odin demanded after a moment.

"Father!" Thor exclaimed. "She just listened to mother die! Give her a moment! Can't you see how much pain she's in?!"

Odin replied back almost instantly. "She was my wife and I will never hear her voice again! At least she could hear her one more time!"

Astrid uncovered her tear-stained face and looked at Thor and Odin. "She loved you both very much. More than you will ever know. Don't blame yourselves. And don't grieve for long. She will be watching us. Always." Astrid reported, in a small voice.

Odin was silent for a moment, contemplating her words. "Did she mention Loki?" Astrid nodded.

"What did she say?" Odin asked when Astrid did not say anything.

"That is something for Loki, and Loki alone. No one else needs to know." She said quietly, remembering what Frigga said. She had to deliver him her message. Loki had to know what she said.

"I am the King! I have a right to know!" He shouted at Astrid.

Astrid didn't even flinch at his fury. "No, you don't. Not this time."

Odin's eyes widened. He was not used to someone disobeying him. Thor grabbed her arm, and pulled her back gently, away from Odin's fury. She could see her father's rage, and knew that this conversation was far from over. Thor led the way out of the room.

Everyone eventually gathered in the Throne Room, though it was dead silent. No one knew what to say. There was nothing to say. Finally, she spoke up. "I'll go tell Loki." That seemed to snap everyone out of their daze.

"No!" Thor and Odin shouted at once.

Astrid crossed her arms. "Well I know for a fact that neither of you will deliver the news."

"I will send a soldier. He can deliver the news." Odin said quickly, already turning towards a guard nearby.

"No! He will not learn that his mother is dead from a stranger. I will not allow it. I will tell him myself." Astrid said with a tone that challenged anyone to defy her. Odin looked at her as if seeing her for the first time in a long time. "You always were like your mother," he whispered softly. "She would never give up once she made a decision about something," he looked down at the ground, before sighing quietly in defeat. "If you are not back in twenty minutes, I will send someone after you." He said.

Astrid bowed her head. "Thank you, father." She tried not to spit out her words, anger still plastered across her face. Astrid turned and walked away numbly.

When she reached the prison, the prisoners that survived were back in their cells. She walked past them, not even giving them a second glance as some called out to her. A stray tear dripped out of her eye and she quickly wiped it away. She had to steel herself to see Loki again.

Finally, she came to Loki's cell at the end of the row. She stopped in front of it and looked inside. Loki was sitting on the floor, reading a book that Frigga had brought him. Astrid closed her eyes briefly, knowing this would not be easy.

He looked up at her, eyes narrowing as he saw who it was. Loki closed his book and set it aside.

"Did you finally come to see me?" he taunted. "Were you worried about me?" he questioned as he stood up and approached the barrier between them. "Oh, of course not. You wanted to make sure I was still here! That I hadn't escaped!" He shouted angrily.

"Loki, please don't do this. Not now…" His words caused her to visibly crumble, and caused more tears to slip down her face. After all she had been through, she could not handle his words as well as her father's. Her head dropped forward, as she tried to shield her face from Loki. He paused and stared at her, taking in her ragged appearance and tear-stained face.

A small sob escaped from her throat, and she felt her knees shaking with the weight of keeping her body upright. It was all becoming too much. It felt like the weight of their harsh words and her mother's death were beginning to crush her. She felt like she could suffocate at any moment.

"Astrid? What happened?" Loki asked in a softer voice, more tentative. He was afraid that if spoke too loudly, he would break her. Maybe he could.

"It's about Mother…." Astrid choked out, looking back up at him. She saw his entire body stiffen and he sucked in a breath.

"During the attack… She was…." She stopped, to collect herself, trying to force the tears away so she could speak, but it seemed that he already knew what she was going to say. His face was grave.

"She was killed." Astrid managed to say before the grief consumed her again and she started sobbing quietly, knees finally crumpling, allowing her to slip to the floor in front of Loki's cell. Loki just stared at her, his shock clearly evident.

He turned away from her and she saw a large surge of power leave his body and throw everything in the room away from him, into the barrier and walls around him. Tables shattered. Food was scattered across the room.

"Who?" She heard him ask hoarsely, his back still turned towards her, but she saw his head hanging.

Her mother's memories flashed before her eyes. "Malekith. Leader of the Dark Elves."

Loki spun around to look at her. "But they are dead! Those were stories that Mother…" He paused on the word, raw pain flashing over his entire face, "would tell us as children."

"Yes, well, Malekith did not die like we believed. The Aether was never destroyed. It is inside Jane." She realized that she forgot to tell him that Jane was here, on Asgard.

"Oh, so Thor's lover is now on Asgard with a powerful weapon inside of her. That's just great!" He spit out, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Loki, don't be like that." Astrid scolded quietly, wiping the tears away, though her mother's words still ran through her mind, causing fresh tears to fall.

Loki stopped and studied her for a moment. "Something else happened," he said softly. Loki always knew her. She couldn't hide anything from him.

"Odin forced me to see in her final thoughts." Loki stiffened, eyes flashing with anger. "I saw her die. I listened to her last thoughts. It was terrible, Loki" She gasped quietly, holding in her sobs. "She knew I would listen. She wanted me to tell you something…." Loki paused, listening intently. "She said that she was always proud of you. She always had been. She said that no matter what, you will always be her son. She hoped one day you would think of her as your mother," Astrid stopped and looked up at Loki, noticing the way his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"She has always been a mother to me…." Astrid heard him whisper quietly, before he turned away, hiding his face from her. "Thank you, Astrid. For telling me…"

Astrid looked down at her hands that were clenched together. "You didn't deserve to have a stranger tell you." He turned around to look at her, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thank you." Astrid knew he meant it.

He looked down, before asking. "Can I come to the ceremony?" Astrid almost forgot about the ceremony that would take place across Asgard as they mourned their queen. She hesitated. "I do not know. Father will probably not allow it, but maybe if you make a copy of yourself, then you could come." Loki nodded slowly.

"I will come to you when it is time." Astrid said. "I won't allow father to keep you away. She was your mother just as much as mine and Thor's." She wiped away another stray tear, before giving him a faint smile, and turning away.

"I'd like a word with father." He called out after her. She stopped and turned to look at him, before nodding, "I'll let him know." He nodded and turned back towards his trashed cell.

Astrid made her way back to the Throne Room. When she pushed the doors open, she saw Thor was holding Jane close. Odin seemed to have been pacing the floor. They all looked relieved when she returned.

"Loki would like to speak with you father." She reported.

Odin nodded curtly, and waved his hand in front of himself. A hologram of Loki appeared. It faded in and out, before filling in, appearing as if Loki was really standing in front of them. Their way of communicating with him without actually being down in the prisons. The hologram looked up and when he saw Odin, his eyes narrowed.

"You wanted to speak with me." Odin said, face void of any emotion.

"How dare you force Astrid to do that!" Loki shouted suddenly. Astrid gasped with surprise. Odin too was at a loss of words. "You almost broke her! Do you even understand how hard that was on her? She just lost her and you made her go through that all over again for your selfish needs!" Astrid was surprised with the intensity of his gaze and the anger in his voice.

Odin finally recovered enough to respond. "I am King. You cannot question me and my decisions." Odin's voice boomed.

Loki let out a harsh laugh. "I can when it comes to my sister." Astrid's eyes widened. That was the first time in ages that he called her his sister. Odin and Thor were both surprised at Loki's statement. Loki glared at Odin before speaking again. "I will be attending the ceremony."

Odin snorted. "Absolutely not."

Loki let out a hollow chuckle. "It will be a double. I know you won't ever let me out of this cell. I will still be in here, withering away. No need to worry," Loki spit.

"No." Odin reaffirmed.

"He has a right!" Astrid exclaimed. "He is her son too. He deserves to be there."

Odin glared at her. "He is not her son." He spit out vehemently.

Astrid took a step forward, meeting her father's gaze. "Actually, he is. According to her, he has always been her son. She told me. When you forced me to hear her final thoughts, that's what she told me." Astrid said with so much venom it surprised her.

The room went silent. Thor, Jane, and Loki all watched with surprise at her outburst. She saw the rage in her father's eyes.

"I will let him know when it is, and he will be there with us. It's what she would have wanted." Astrid said with finality before turning and walking away, without being dismissed. She was tired of her father pushing her around. It felt good to do something else for a change.


	12. Into Eternity

Astrid slid on the simple, yet elegant, black dress. She stared at herself in the mirror, taking in her ragged appearance. A few days had passed since her mother's death and her conversation with Loki, as the entirety of Asgard prepared for their Queen's final goodbye. The bags under her eyes showed how much sleep she got, and her normally bright eyes looked dull. The maids had done a wonderful job with her hair, but she missed her mother doing her hair for important events. Not having her there to style her hair was just another one of the many instances where there was a gap where her mother should be.

With a quiet sigh, she pulled out one of her mother's necklaces and fastened it around her neck. The beautiful stones shimmered in the light, but it did little to brighten up her mood. Her hand closed around the necklace and she squeezed it tightly as tears started to brim in her eyes. Trying not to ruin the hard work that the maids had done, Astrid dropped her hand and cleared her throat, turning away from her reflection.

As soon as she had left her room, there were people sending her sympathetic looks. Most were from the maids, while others were from some other nobles of Asgard. Everyone wore dark colors in mourning. A few people gave her their condolences, and Astrid gave them a tight smile and nod in return.

As she made her way to the prisons, the guards in front of the doors glanced up as she approached. She gave them curt nods and they moved aside to let her through.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Your Highness," one of the guards said softly.

Astrid looked at the man and saw his own grief in his eyes. Everyone loved her mother. They were all grieving. She smiled sadly and gave a quiet, "Thank you," before heading into the prisons.

She walked past the many cells, containing many monsters that she despised. One of the newer monsters was standing by the barrier and waited until she passed before speaking up. "Hey! Miss Princess!" Astrid flinched at that word. She hated when people called her princess. Despite her better judgement, she paused and inclined her head slightly towards his.

"I heard the Queen is dead." Astrid said nothing to confirm nor deny the answer.

Her silence was answer enough, though. He smiled. "Finally! That woman deserved to die! You all do! It's a pity it wasn't me, though. I would've loved to see the look fade away in her eyes as I drained the life out of her," he smirked. "But I guess I can wait until it's you in my hands, draining your life away as your father and brothers watch. Oh, what a sight that would be!" he laughed loudly, the others in his cells chuckling in amusement.

Astrid showed no reaction to his words, simply staring at him. In the next moment, she was right in front of his cell, hand twisting as a light purple swirl encased her hand. She moved faster than lightning. In the next moment, the creature was wrapped with a purple mist, before he was pulled closer to the barrier, and closer to Astrid's face, which was filled with a calm sort of rage.

His eyes quickly shifted from satisfied to filled with fear as Astrid clenched her hand and the mist around him tightened, causing him to grunt. She pulled him as close to the barrier as she could without smashing his face into it. She lowered her head to be eye level with him, watching in satisfaction as his eyes filled with pure terror.

"If you ever mention my mother again, I will not hesitate. If you even think about her ever again, I will kill you painfully and slowly until you beg me to end your pathetic little life. She was so much more than you will ever be. She was much more than any of you! Watch your mouth next time. Or you won't have a tongue to speak with," Astrid spoke calmly, watching with a small smirk as he tried to struggle away from her. She spoke calmly, but her eyes were churning with the severity of her words. He knew that she meant every single one of them.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she slammed him against the barrier, hard, and let go. She stepped back and watched as his body slumped to the ground. Astrid looked up at the other prisoners that shared a cell with him and met their gazes.

"Would anyone else like to say something?" she asked meeting their gazes evenly, daring them to say anything. They all shook their heads and bowed their heads, refusing to meet her glare.

"Good. Make sure you keep it that way." Astrid said with a small smile before continuing to walk towards Loki's cell. As she continued her way down the corridor, the other prisoners would not even meet her gaze, all bowing their heads away from her fiery eyes as she passed. No one said a word.

Loki's cell was not much farther, and when she finally reached it, she saw him watching her with prideful eyes and the corners of his mouth slightly turned upwards.

"You took care of him, didn't you?" He asked with a chuckle.

Astrid shrugged. "He was not even worthy to mention her." Loki's eyes gleamed and he gave her a small smile.

Astrid gave him a small smile in return, before speaking about what she came here for. "It's time."

Loki's smile vanished and he nodded solemnly. "You look so much like her. She would be proud to see how strong you are," Loki said softly.

Astrid looked away, the tears gathering again. "I hope so," she said softly. Then she remembered his actions on her behalf. She looked up at him again as she said, "Thank you, Loki."

He looked at her, surprised, a slight tilt to his head.

"For what you said to father." She clarified.

Loki looked down and nodded slowly. "He had no right to make you go through that. Even if he is the Allfather." Astrid gave her brother a small smile of gratitude. Loki returned the smile and Astrid felt as if nothing had ever gone between them. In this moment, everything was fine.

A movement to her right caused her to glance over and she saw Loki standing right beside her. She let out a yelp and jumped away, her heart pounding in her chest.

Both Loki's laughed joyfully. "And you said you knew me." Both Loki's said at the same time with a playful smile.

Astrid placed her hand over her heart. "Don't do that again! You almost gave me a heart attack!" The Loki's laughed again.

A guard walked over towards her, but when he saw Loki standing beside her, his sword was drawn immediately.

Astrid jumped forward to explain. "Wait! It's okay! It's just an illusion! He's still inside." She gestured to the Loki still in the cell.

The guard glanced back and forth between the Loki in his cell and the Loki beside her, before he suddenly thrust his spear into the illusion's chest, causing the illusion to disappear.

The guard nodded, satisfied. "Alright."

"Did you not trust me?" Astrid almost shouted.

"I trust you ma'am. I don't trust him." He glanced at Loki inside the cell, who looked pissed. Astrid sighed in frustration, but understood what he meant. "I wanted to report that the ceremony is about to start."

She nodded slowly. "Thank you." The guard bowed and walked away.

Astrid turned back to face Loki inside his cell and saw the annoyance on his face. "Now I have to make another illusion because of him!" Loki snorted.

Astrid smirked. "Aww is it too hard for the Great Loki to make another copy? Oh, you poor thing." She taunted, playfully.

Loki rolled his eyes, but made another copy. Astrid noticed the ghost of a smile on his lips, though he tried to hide it from her.

Astrid looked at the copied Loki. "Make sure you stay by me. Not everyone knows about this. They will know it is alright if I'm with you."

"Because they will automatically trust me because I'm with you!" he said, disbelievingly.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

She started to walk away from his cell, and the copy followed. As they walked out, Astrid looked at his prison clothes. "You might want to change." Loki looked at her, then at his clothes, and Astrid watched as Loki's golden armor fading into being. Astrid nodded slowly, before continuing.

They walked out into the late evening. There was no light left in the sky, and the stars were appearing in the sky. Astrid stopped suddenly, not feeling ready to face saying goodbye to her mother. Loki, noticing that she was no longer at his side, paused and turned to look back at her. "Astrid?"

Her shoulders began to shake as the weight of what was happening was settling in. "I'm not ready Loki… I'm not ready to say goodbye," she whimpered out softly, tears gathering in her eyes once again.

Loki came and stood in front of her, forcing Astrid to look up to meet his eyes. "We never will be ready…." He said softly, his own eyes filled with grief. "We will never be ready to say goodbye to someone we love…" Astrid nodded slowly, and gathered up her courage, before starting to walk again, with Loki walking by her side.

They met Thor, Jane, and Odin at the canal that held a single boat. A boat that held a body. Odin glared at Loki, while Thor just stared at his brother. Odin turned his glare towards Astrid. "This is a horrible idea."

Astrid suddenly felt angry. "She was his mother too! He deserves to be here as much as any one of us! It is what mother would have wanted!" She almost screamed at him, her voice rising as the anger flooded her body. Odin narrowed his eyes, but Astrid just turned away and walked towards the boat.

She saw her mother's body lying on the boat. She looked so peaceful, as if she was simply sleeping. Astrid's eyes teared up again. Even in death, her mother still looked beautiful. Loki came up behind her and stared down at the body of his mother. She wondered what he was thinking.

Everything was silent for a few moments before someone shouted, "It's Loki!" There were screams, and Loki looked up, alarmed, as people started to flee from the area around them. People began running away from them quickly.

Astrid shouted above the screams. "It's alright! It's not Loki! It's an illusion! He's still in his cell." The people paused their frenzy, but still looked at Loki with fear and caution.

"He came to see the ceremony." She explained as people started to whisper amongst themselves.

A voice rose above the whispers. "He doesn't belong here! He never loved her at all!"

Astrid whipped her head around to look at Loki, whose eyes flashed with hurt, before quickly turning to blazing rage, spitting out at the man who had spoken, "You are very lucky that I am not really here. Otherwise, I would kill you with one flick of my hand."

"Loki." Astrid whispered in warning as the man's eyes turned fearful. He turned to look at her, his eyes calming, before he turned away from everyone and walked away. Astrid glared back at the man, who had the audacity to look ashamed, before following her brother. People continued to whisper, but the ceremony must go on. A few people pushed the boat with their mother lightly, and it started to float down the canal, to the open water.

Astrid followed Loki up a hill, which overlooked the water. Odin, Jane, and Thor were already there. Jane stood by Thor, then Odin in the middle, Astrid after that, then Loki at the end. They all watched in silence, along with the rest of Asgard, as the boat carrying her mother, was floating away from them forever. Astrid's breathing became more ragged as their mother moved farther away from them.

Then, a guard lit an arrow on fire and aimed towards the water. He sent the arrow flying and they all watched as it surged through the air, and landed on the boat, engulfing it into flames within seconds.

Astrid felt tears begin flood her eyes, blurring her vision. Hundreds of boats floated in the water, all following Frigga. More arrows flew through the air and then they all lit. It looked like the water was on fire.

Frigga's boat was slowly reaching the end of the water, before it would fall into an abyss below. As it reached the end, it suspended in the air for a moment. Odin tapped his staff, and thousands of little lights rose from the boat and into the stars, before the boat found gravity again, and fell out of their sight. They watched the lights travel into the stars, away from them forever. Astrid felt a few tears slip down her face, as the lights faded from her view.

They all held white orbs filled with light. She held one for Loki, since he could not hold or touch anything. They all let go and watched as they floated up into the air, rising higher and higher.

As their orbs were released, everyone on Asgard let go of their as well. Astrid watched as the sky was soon filled with glowing orbs from the people of Asgard, all honoring the life of Frigga. It was truly beautiful. She hoped her mother was watching and thought it was beautiful as well.

She watched the orbs floating up high into the sky, as the people started to drift away. Thor and Jane were the first to leave. Then, Odin glared at them both, before leaving as well, leaving only Loki and Astrid behind. They stayed there for a long time, long after the orbs faded and became nothing.

During this time, they both were remembering their mother. Memories flooded through their minds. Astrid finally shook the haze away from her mind. It was very late.

She glanced over at Loki, who was gazing out at nothing. He closed his eyes, and she saw a tear fall down his cheek, before his illusion faded away, leaving Astrid alone.


End file.
